The Predacon's Prisoner
by DONOVAN94
Summary: "It didn't start out that way. He had been proud, ferocious, domineering... yet lonely. The first and last of his kind in eons. Yet now it was different. He'd known, somewhere in his spark, that fate had brought them together. A child banished his demons as he guarded her from hers. They were kin. As strange as it was, they were two creatures made to quell the other's loneliness."
1. Cybertron I

**Author's Note: Hello everyone, and thank you for checking out my Transformers Prime fanfiction! Now, I'm going to admit straight out of the gate that I have only seen season 3, titled "Beast Hunters", though I have researched all of the previous events so that I don't get myself muddled up. However, I am not a HUGE-super-all-knowledge-knowing fan of Transformers Prime or the Transformers universe in general, though I do know enough in order to get me through. But this story will almost 90% be from Predaking's point of view. So seeing as he's new to everything as well, I think I can get away with it ;)**

 **When I watched season 3, I instantly loved him and wanted to explore his character and the great potential he had. So this is a slight AU of season 3 with bits of the movie "Predacons Rising" mixed in. This story will focus on Predaking, and will explore more of his psychological and emotional development, with a little help ;)**

 **I hope you enjoy this story as much as I will certainly have fun writing it. And please do not forget to review!**

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 **The Predacon's Prisoner**

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Prologue: Cybertron I

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He had been patrolling when he knew that there was a disturbance in his 'nest'. Just like the dragons in earth's folklore, he knew when his territory had been invaded, and his scanners indicated that it was a party of them, heading for the heart of his final piece of seclusion.

Mandibles shivered as a dangerous growl escaped his throat, an old hatred making a fire burn in his generator as it travelled up his throat. His shoulder and back ached as his wings thrust him through the air. Despite the fact that he had patched himself up since arriving on his home world, his wounds were still rather troubling. He'd lost a lot of energon, but he'd managed to find a few patches of it in his scouting around his new home. Unlike the other cybertronian life forms, he had never seen his home planet until he had been brought here – he knew unintentionally – by the Autobots. Some part of him rejoiced to be 'home' for his spark finally felt as if it belong on the metallic surface of the planet. And yet…

And yet it was all too silent. The world was uninhabited, and he was all alone. The first of his kind since the dawning of cybertronian history, and more than likely to be the last to ever live. All that remained of his race were the bones of ancients unearthed by the planet's recent restoration, the fossils of predators that once ruled only to be extinguished by a great cataclysm. And now he was all that was left.

He ruled over a silent kingdom, filled with only the ghosts of dead subjects. Suddenly, the name he had given himself seemed to be a mockery of his loneliness. Some _king_ he was. A King of nothing.

But he would have been fine with that, had there only been someone's little laughter… someone's beaming smile and light voice to talk away the long hours of the day with. Someone to share the air with as he flew through it, now flying as if his wings couldn't carry the weight that dragged his spark to the ground. But that would never be.

He shook himself back to the present, snarling at his self-indulged weakness, and pushed himself hard into the air currents, closing in on his target. He was beginning to wonder if he was going insane, for his mind would slip often like this. Into memories he would go, or into thoughts that hurt his spark, and when he returned the only way to escape the pain was to either never think and feel, or to push his body to its limits and let the exertion distract his mind. There was only one thing that was keeping him operational now: Vengeance. It was the reason that he had stowed away in order to come to Cybertron, to follow the trail of the one who would die slowly for his crimes. _He_ growled as the fire burned its way inside of him, as if preparing for that eventual day. But he focused now, diving silently onto the prey that dared to intrude into his den. His optics narrowed when he recognised the loathsome forms. As he swooped in to land, he managed to hear them.

"Whoa… you mean we've been tracking…" The big green one, Bulkhead, he remembered his designation to be, gulped as _his_ shadow fell over them as he landed on a high slab of metal that jutted out from the metallic ground. "Predaking?" Bulkhead finished. _He_ snarled at them as they dared to ready their weapons at him, when they were standing in _his_ domain! He flared his gigantic wings, making his already large form seem enormous as he engulfed them in his shadow. He summoned flame from his generator, letting the light shine at the back of his throat to show them that he was more than ready for the fight, and would relish every second of it. He saw that they were nervous, and ready to pull the trigger and start the –

"Hold fire!" Cried the little yellow one, holding a large rod in his hand as he held up the other.

Predaking was surprised to see that the others listened to the puny one and lowered their weapons. But he didn't stand down, even when the little one took a step closer and lifted the rod up into the air as if for the predacon to inspect it.

"Recognise this, Predaking?" The yellow one – Predaking thought he remembered the Decepticons describing this one as a scout… Bumblebee, was that his designation? Something along those lines of a silly and unimpressive earth insect.

But still he hissed a dangerous growl as he closed his mandibles and leaned his head ever so slightly closer to look at the rod in the autobot's hands. He couldn't see anything remarkable about it, and he definitely hadn't seen it before, his memory would have told him otherwise.

"You served aboard Megatron's warship," Bumblebee said. "Surely you're familiar with this little treasure from his vault? The immobiliser. It causes instant stasis lock, though the victim remains fully conscious. A living death."

Predaking snarled, knowing the threat was there. He didn't know if this was the real immobiliser – he had heard of some of the various weapons Megatron had stored aboard the warship, though he didn't know why the Decepticon leader didn't use said weapons more often. His scanners indicated that there was nothing out of the ordinary about the rod, and he saw the other autobots look at each other. But he didn't want to gamble such a fate. But if the autobot was merely talking to him now, why hadn't he fired the immobiliser yet? He could have done it as soon as he landed. Predaking narrowed his optics suspiciously. But then, the autobot placed the rod on the ground, bending the knee as if bowing to him, and the predacon felt his pride stirred at the gestured.

"But we didn't come here to fight, Your Highness." The autobot's words were spoken respectfully.

He decided that it would be most advantageous to learn as to why the autobots would extend such a gesture, especially considering the bad-energon between them. He gave the autobot one last warning glare, before he transformed into his mech-form. He stood proud and tall, looming over them all still on the high-rise, his back straight and stiff, his face impassive though his lip was curled and optics narrowed in only the slightest hint of disdain and suspicion.

The autobot may have put the weapon on the ground, but Predaking still didn't trust them as far as he could throw them.

"Then why have you violated my refuge, _Autobot_?" He spat out the last word with clear distaste.

"We need answers." Bumblebee said as he stood and the other autobots sheathed their weapons as they all stared up to him. He analysed their faces. They all seemed distrustful, weary, but also disturbed. Whatever it was, they were more concerned by other matters then him. He need not fear a trap from them – not that he would of in the first place. "Do you know of any other predacons currently on Cybertron?"

"Indeed. Legions of them." Predaking sneered in self-mockery, for oh what bitter irony. He had yearned for more of his own race for so long, and now all that he had was the dust. He turned and gestured to the huge burial ground that stretched out for miles behind him, the field decorated with the fossilised bones of his ancestors. "Behold! My subjects, a countless multitude. Rendered extinct ages ago by the Great Cataclysm. Unearthed by the shifting of plates in our planet's restoration."

"Yeah, well me and Ultra Magnus just about got scrapped by two _living_ predacons." Snapped the blue mech defiantly with a sneer. "Know anything about them, _Your Highness?_ "

A trick? His mind protested against the vain hope in his spark, for it had to be! It couldn't be that the answer to his prayers would come so easily! Yet the Autobots seemed to be blaming him, as if he should already know… could that possibly mean…

"Two?!" He demanded, leaning forward. " _Where_?"

"We came to ask your help in finding them." Bumblebee asked. Predaking narrowed his eyes, instantly suspicious again.

"For revenge?" He asked with a growl. Did they honestly expect him to turn on his own kind? Could they be so cruel as to make him suffer through losing his only hope _again_?! Did they truly want to condemn him to his lonely existence?

"No." The puny one said. "Optimus Prime would deem it a tragedy to stain Cybertron's fresh soil with _any_ newly spilled energon. So help us prove what Megatron was never willing to. That more than one race can peacefully coexist on our planet."

"You assume that because I turned against Megatron…" Predaking sneered at the naivety of the autobot. "That I can forgive the autobots their role in the destruction of my brethren on Earth?!" That, and so much more… his spark almost gave out as the memories threatened to consume him. He pushed them back. He had to forget for now, or he would never find peace and never concentrate enough to have his vengeance. He curled his lip as he narrowed his yellow optic onto the Autobot. "Leave me be… and _dare_ not trespass here again."

The Autobots had the right instinct to look a little unsettled at the threat. But they decided to leave the beast to his loneliness, and so turned away and walked peacefully out of his 'home'. Bumblebee threw the rod over his shoulder as he left, letting it disappear into nearby wreckage. Predaking had to snort at the autobot's nerve, for he had held a good poker-face.

His optics didn't leave their backs until they were gone from the horizon. Only when he was certain that they had truly left, did he relax. He looked down at his chest, where attached to his armour by a piece of string, hanging next to his own predacon insignia, was a little green dragon head. He reverently touched it with a gently finger, letting his Spark have its moment of yearning. But after a moment he pushed the feelings away and finally transform back into his alt-mode, and took to the sky, his spark finally flickering to life as he dared to hope.

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Hours later, he had finally managed to track the autobots trail to the site of the attack, though his luck had ended there when he realised that the two predacons – for indeed he had found evidence that the autobots had spoken the truth that two of his kind existed – had fled the scene in flight. He couldn't track them through the air, and he had no fresh sample of them like he had had with Wheeljack. So he had been forced to light up the night's sky with a great inferno of flame as a beacon to call to any Predacons who might see. He had been waiting for hours, when finally he saw something in the sky flying towards him. His spark crackled with hope as a small smile graced his face.

"The beacon, it worked!" He whispered almost excitedly. He couldn't help but wonder what these Predacons would be like. Would they be mechs or femmes? Would they be like him? Would they welcome him with open wings as he surely wanted to with them?

But as the object drew closer, Predaking felt his Spark sink and be replaced with caution when he realised that wing-beats did not accompany the flying form, but the sound of an engine. The cybertronian came hurtling and transformed as it landed heavily on the ground. As it straightened, it revealed itself to be –

"Megatron?!" Predaking narrowed his eyes, unable to believe it. Megatron had perished, the Autobot scout had killed him. Yet here he was! The loathsome betrayer standing in front of him… and yet changed. His armour was much more decorative then before, and his usually red eyes were a dark-energon purple… something didn't seem right about this.

"Warrior!" Megatron greeted almost cheerfully, further making the predacon blink in surprise and confusion. "I call upon you to serve your Master!"

Predaking thought his generator would make him explode in fire. The gall of the cretin! Had he forgotten what he had done?! Did he truly think that _he_ would heel to him?! The insult was enough to make him shake with violent intent.

"In the name of the mighty legions of predacons who preceded me," He growled with narrowed optics at his hated enemy. There was only one other he hated more than Megatron, one whom he had vowed to reclaim vengeance on, for destroying what had been left of his happiness. "I shall never again yield to your charge! But I _will_ heed your previous advice… and face my _true_ enemy AS A BEAST!"

He roared as he transformed into his alt-dragon mode so fast that Megatron had no chance to react before a blast of fire had hit him straight on. Predaking allowed all of his hatred and anger, every negative emotion he had kept bottled inside of him the past days, and used it to fuel his flames, making them grow so hot he could have melted the mech where he stood, and probably was. Megatron's screams of agony were like music to his audio receptors.

When the flames ceased, Megatron staggered to the ground, his form almost white hot as he gasped and tried to escape his agony. Predaking screeched a battle-cry, charging forward before he clamped his jaws around Megatron's middle and hoisted him into the air as he shook him violently, wanting to tear the mech in half. Megatron tried to hit him to get the predacon to release him but Predaking ignored him, and instead lifted his head before blasting Megatron out of his mouth with a burst of fire. Megatron screamed in pain again as he was thrown through the air and landed heavily in a heap on the floor.

He quickly got back to his feet, but Predaking didn't want to give him a chance to recover. He charged towards his enemy, before noticing some purple-light glow around Megatron's arm. He aimed it and fired. Usually gun-fire or even plasma-fire didn't harm the predacon, for his armour was too thick in his alt-dragon mode. But this blast was different, for as it connected with his chest, the force of it sent him through the air backwards to fall roughly. It seemed to cause him a moment of agony as the shot sunk through his armour and felt as if it were trying to poison his very spark with something dark and twisted…

 _Dark-Energon_. Predaking knew it the moment he felt it, for he had been in its presence before, and its evil was unmistakable anywhere. It was then that he knew that this wasn't Megatron he was dealing with, for Megatron had had an affinity with dark-energon but never exhibited this kind of control over it. It would also explain for the odd behaviour. This being was something else…

But he refused to back down, and so charged back into the fight as he came at the mech with all his speed and power. Megatron or no, he would still tear him apart. He leapt at his prey, but was shot out of the air and sent reeled back until he collided with a ruined building and slid to the ground. The pain was more intense the second time around, but he refused to give up. Nothing would deprive him of vengeance! If the demon killed him later, then so be it, but he had to have his vengeance first, it was the only thing he was living for now!

He screeched as he unflinchingly shook himself back to his feet and charged once more at his opponent. As his jaws came within striking distance, the-not-Megatron summoned into being a hammer made of dark energon around his free hand and smashed it into Predaking's face over and over again. Each strike was a flash of pain to the predacon, not only to his metal but also to his energon that reacted to the poison seeming to come off of the demon's aura in waves, and he backed up as he tried to escape the onslaught. He tried to snap his jaws, but the hammer finally came down with one last almighty force to the top of his head.

Predaking collapsed, dazed and barely conscious as he lay there. His optics were blurry as his system tried to recover though slowly. Some part of him wanted the demon to end it, to let him be at peace. Though this wasn't the place where he wanted his bones to collect dust… for his memory-core still remembered the little hill with the sun and wind always there… that was where he wanted to be laid to rest, but just having it all end would be enough.

"Now…" He heard Megatron's voice panting slightly, but he couldn't even move his head, for he felt so weary. "Let us learn more of these ' _Mighty Legions'_ of which you spoke of… by peering directly into your mind…"

He then felt a hand on his head, and felt the poison in the touch that seeped through his shell and invaded his very being. Predaking's eyes widened as he suddenly felt his mind not become his own, as a foreign and evil presence shifted through his memories and thoughts, discarding all that was not useful. Despite his valiant attempts to keep his own mind a sanctuary, and to preserve any memory he could, it was in vain as the all-powerful intruder ripped him apart.

They both saw through the ancestral memory drives what Predaking had seen in a vision only once before. A world filled with the mightiest constructs this planet had ever seen, living super-soldier-weapons in the countless numbers. And then it came to Predaking's actual memories, of the burial ground he had made his home, filled with the bones of all that remained of his race.

And then, through the fog, a memory of the one face that haunted his every thought. It was where she belonged in the reverent place beside his forefathers. A little round and pale face, with bright green eyes and auburn hair. At the mere memory, his spark ached as only a single name whispered throughout his being…

 _Miya…_

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 **A/N: Please review!**


	2. Predacon's Prey

**Author's Note: A HUGE thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story so far. I really appreciate your support. I hope you continue to enjoy where this story is going.**

 **Please don't forget to review!**

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The Predacon's Prey

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 _Several Months Earlier…_

Metallic wings thrust through the air, mastering the wind and defying the very laws of gravity itself as they held up such a tremendous weight in the clouds. Optics burned with raging intensity, telling of the fury that burned within him so hot he could feel the fire scorch the back of his throat where it had been summoned from the generator near his spark-chamber. His mandibles flared as he gnashed his teeth, the memories only fuelling the hot-anger.

His first hunt had ended abysmally, especially after such an energon-pumping start. His prey – whom he remembered his creator calling 'Autobots' – had tried to bury him alive in an energon mine when it had been made very clear that they could not best him in combat. But then they'd been abducted from his grasp by more of their filthy kind. His pursuit had gone well, for he'd almost broken apart their flying-small-ship in order to get to his prey. But they'd managed to dislodge him in a rather painful way by smashing him into the side of a canyon. By the time he'd managed to recover, the prey was long gone.

The Predacon snarled, the mere memory wounding his pride as he swooped through the air. With the Autobots gone, the only thing he could do was return to his creator, and the one he had been programmed with to recognise as 'Lord': the one known as Megatron. The Predacon didn't know how to feel about Megatron, for the mech had the unwavering aura of an alpha about him, as well as being like a predator in his own right. The Predacon knew he was programmed to recognise this one, but he would not bow to anyone. However, he respected Megatron as one of great power, and that was enough. He had no concept of loyalty or what to make of a faction, for it was his first day in the universe, having only been awoken from the tank-womb several hours ago. Everything about this world was fresh and a new experience to his senses; he could never remember doing anything before this, yet he seemed to know instinctively how to do certain things. Like flying, hunting, fighting… It was all so much to take in at once.

The dragon-form swooped through the skies, coming in low over the forests that rustled in the wind, whispering a thousand tongues the Predacon did not understand but still enjoyed to listen to. It seemed to sooth his mind a moment, which was yet another new experience as he had felt no emotion equal to calm in the several hours he had been conscious. The moonlight silhouetted his metallic shape, and he basked in the glow of it, his black armour-plating allowing him to melt back into the darkness of shadows just as easily if he so wished. The world was silent and dark, and although it felt very different – or perhaps it was he that was different, being a creature of metal in an organic world – he still felt a part of it, as if this were his kingdom, and belonged to him just as it did the native organisms here.

As he cleared the trees and came beyond the forest, heading in the general direction of Megatron's fortress, the Predacon came across a long, straight strip of stone on the ground below. It was what his information processors called a 'road'. His creator had thought to upload onto his brain all the information he would need to survive, such as land formations, brief data on the native species of this planet called 'humans', as well as the layout and terminology of the immediate area and landmarks. It was rather useful in incidents such as now.

But as he flew onwards, not paying the road a second thought, the Predacon thought he spotted something, and turned his head back to look as he narrowed an optic onto what he had seen.

A human was walking alone along the road. Young, skinny, wrapped in loose fitting yet threadbare clothes, with a bag-pack on its back. Usually, this shouldn't have caused much of a concern to the Predacon, as his data-banks remembered the uploaded information that humans were rather abundant on this planet. However, considering this human was rather close to where he had fought his prey, and he remembered that the Autobots had had their own little pet human with them, the Predacon decided that this might require further investigation.

He swooped low, coming in upon his target fast but silently, as he held his wings out to glide on the air currents and allowed gravity to eventually pull him downwards. Something must have given him away, either the slightest creak of a valve or joint, or perhaps it had been a shift in the wind, or the feeling of eyes burning into its back, but the human turned at the last minute to see what was behind it. The Predacon only had a moment to take in a screaming face before he cut the sound off as he reared back and his hind legs scraped along the road with a loud screech and a flurry of sparks, before he pinned the human to the ground with a foreclaw. He was not gentle, but he still knew that a mere twitch could kill the fragile and pathetic rodent. His mandibles flared to reveal his gaping maw filled with large teeth as he screeched down at the human, his optics now able to take in its features.

The human was female, but a juvenile, as she seemed to possess none of the qualities that his data-banks registered as being a mature adult, such as the mounds of flesh on her chest and rear and the more prominent hips to accommodate a live offspring. However, the female possessed a tall and lanky body that suggested she was not an infant, and the fact that she was out here alone spoke of how she was not watched by adults attentively. She was a child, a sparkling, of similar age to the autobot's pet if he could remember it correctly. The human had pale skin, bright green eyes and brown-red hair. The creature was wailing and crying pathetically as it tried to scramble and wriggle out from under his hold, and the Predacon could see the stress levels rising within her chemical creation glands. He merely grunted at her as he tightened his hold, and the human gasped before whimpering loudly as she trembled in terror.

"Oh god!" The human wailed with a trembling lip, salt liquid gathering in her eyes as she looked about pleadingly. "Please! Please! Don't…"

She wasn't the human that had been with the autobots, despite being of similar age and gender and being close to the site of the battle. But she had seen him, and if he released her then she would tell others of her kind about him. Whilst he cared not of the threat of humans, for none of their weapons had the power to hurt him, he knew he would need the element of surprise for future attacks. If the girl told others of him then that surprise would be ruined. So it was decided: he would kill her.

He summoned flame from the generator in his chest, letting the red light travel up his throat to gather at the back of his mouth. When he opened his jaws, the red-orange light washed over the girl, promising flames he only had to unleash in order to spell her demise. She trembled violently, unable to move as she seemed transfixed on the light at the back of his mouth, her chest heaving with air, and his senses detected that her heart rate had just risen astronomically. But somehow, she managed to tear her eyes away from the brewing fire, and look straight into his optics.

"Please…" She whispered. "Please don't do this…"

She spoke as if he understood her – which he did – as if he were a self-aware and conscious being capable of making his own decisions – which he was. She spoke to him as if he were an intelligent being, capable of reasoning. This was more than he had ever received from the ones that he seemed to be aligned with, the ones who called themselves the Decepticons. They, including his creator and the Lord Megatron, had spoken of him as if he were not present, as if he were a dumb animal, especially the one called Starscream. The Autobots had treated him as if he were a mindless monster, even thinking that stupid and easy to spot tricks would deceive him. Both examples were enough to make his pride burn as fiercely as his anger. But this girl had treated him differently in all of twenty seconds. Perhaps it was only because she knew he held her life in his claws, or maybe she didn't even realise what she was doing. But still it made him pause for just a moment in order to give her the hard glare through a blazing yellow optic, to grant her a second longer to live.

And that was when he saw it.

Resting against her chest, tied around her throat by a piece of string, sat an emblem. It was of a snarling face of some form of green reptile, with a long snout and horns decorating the back of its head. It was green in colour but with fiery flame-like eyes. The necklace made the Predacon pause because he recognised it. It was incredibly alike to the insignia on his own chest: the symbol of the predacon species. Some instinct inside of him related the symbol to himself, and reasoned that perhaps it was something similar. It was not a coherent analysis, as he couldn't seem to find the words or thoughts to explain even to himself the feeling that pulled at his spark.

It was as if the symbol made him register it as kin. But that was impossible. This was an indigenous Earth life form, a human, an organic. Not a predacon or anything close to his own species. The very thought frustrated him that he would be so naïve as to think such a thing just because the creature displayed a symbol closely resembling his own.

Yet still that feeling in his spark would not dissipate, even if it was fading as his own reasoning began to work the problem over. He felt curious, and even more so confused by the reaction such a simple object could cause in him. And then there was the way the girl had spoken to him. Such a little thing… respect. It felt good to have that.

Perhaps the human's death was not warranted just yet. Perhaps she could serve him to fulfil his curiosity from this predicament. Or she could easily be used as entertainment, something for him to toy with to vent his frustrations on, she could even replace the satisfaction of killing the prey that had escaped him. Either way, her death would come eventually.

With that in mind, he readjusted his massive claws around the tiny human girl as he leapt into the air. The girl screamed with such a pitch and intensity that the Predacon was rather surprised that nearby glass was not shattering. But the Predacon was not exactly smooth or forgiving in his flight with his new passenger, and he soon heard the sounds of the human heaving as she tried to hold in her inner-fluids and pre-eaten organic sustenance. The Predacon ignored her for the most part, though he did recognise that she seemed to grow calmer when he levelled off and allowed his gigantic wings to catch the air currents and glide. Even when his sheer body mass and weight defied gravity itself as he soared on brilliant flame-coloured wings, his flight was ever smooth and graceful.

At one point he became aware that the human was shivering and trembling violently. His scanners in his optics indicated that her body temperature was becoming dangerously low and that her oxygen intake was less than it should be. It was all due to the high altitude and winds around them. The Predacon growled to himself, mandibles twitching, considering simply ignoring the problem. But then, what use would the human be to him if she died on the way to Megatron's fortress? He might as well just release her and let gravity kill her for him. So, with an exasperated snort, he lowered his altitude so that the wind wasn't as bitingly cold and the air was thick enough that she could breathe it easily. The reaction was immediate, as the human girl sighed and relaxed somewhat as her temperature slowly began to climb, though not fast enough to quickly reclaim her normal temperature. But it mattered not to the Predacon. He had done enough for the human already.

"Th-Thank you…" He heard the human whisper between chattering teeth as she huddled against his claws. He blinked his optics in surprise at hearing customary words of gratitude from the human. Didn't she realise she was his captive? Why would she thank him for merely allowing her to breathe?

He decided to ignore it, and focused his attention back onto his flight control.

"God…" The child whispered to herself, perhaps unaware that the Predacon could hear her even above the howling winds around them. "Taken p-prisoner by a robot dra-dragon. Tell me this is-is a nightmare…"

Perhaps she did know the gravity of her situation then. She was not as clueless as the Predacon would have first thought.

" _Mom_ …" She whispered pleadingly.

And then she began to tremble and shudder, her chest heaving as a sound was ripped from her chest. But the Predacon's sensors indicated that her oxygen intake was at adequate levels, and the temperature was not so cold as to warrant such shaking. Turning his head slightly to glance at her with a befuddled optic, he spied her head buried in her hands as salt water leaked from her eyes. She was… ' _crying'_ was the word his data-banks provided. This was something humans did to display a negative emotion, and the Predacon found it curious, even if the sound was rather irritating. After watching her for a moment to see if she would do something else interesting, he shook his head before concentrating back on his flight. When the sound of the human's weeping began to really annoy him, he simply shut off his auditory receptors.

Being a mechanical construct was useful in that regard.

It wasn't overly long until the shadow of Megatron's fortress, Darkmount, became visible on the horizon. The tower rose above the ground and reached into the sky as it pierced the clouds with its many spires. Its shadow loomed over the surrounding landscape, completely obliterating all that dared to flourish in its presence. It was an impressive sight to behold, and the Predacon now called it home, he supposed.

His optics spotted a form at the top of the tower, where the throne of Megatron was held. Without thinking, the Predacon flew upwards towards the fortress's peak, and saw the audience that was awaiting him. He landed, though perhaps a little heavier then he intended, as one back leg staggered slightly – the collision in the canyon had not been a kind experience. He recovered quickly, and placed his clawed foot on the ground, the human still held in his grasp though he didn't put enough pressure onto her to cause her any real harm. The human was panting, heart racing with terror as she looked around with wide green eyes. But the Predacon ignored her, instead focusing his optics on Megatron and the one known as Starscream.

"Your beast returns empty handed." Megatron stated darkly, clear dissatisfaction in his tone as he eyed said beast before glaring at Shockwave. The Predacon did not lower his gaze from the Decepticon Lord, refusing to surrender to any living Mech, though he did lower himself to the ground as his creator stepped forward in order to look over his dented back from the collision.

"Not quite, My Liege," Starscream smirked as he pointed a servo to the wriggling human in the predacon's grasp. Seeing the optics of the Decepticons on her, the human squeaked in fear as she trembled and huddled herself into as small a ball as she could with the Predacon almost squashing her. "It would seem the brute brought back a toy…"

"I will not have my base infested with organic filth." Megatron spat disgustedly. "Eradicate it."

Starscream made to point a rocket towards where the human lay, but the Predacon suddenly screeched, opening its mandibles to blare its sharp teeth in warning. Orange light shone at the back of its throat in preparation to fire at the Second in Command, and Starscream physically recoiled as he flinched.

"Predacons exhibit extreme possessive behaviour." Came the monotonous voice of his creator as he stepped forward, the one large red eye tilting up to Megatron in the form of an explanation. "It is logical to assume that the Predacon hunted for a toy. It will kill the human soon enough."

The Predacon snorted in agreement, and ignored the way the human was barely holding in sobs of fear as she heard every word that was spoken. Megatron stared at Shockwave, before glaring at the human pinned beneath the Predacon's claws, and nodded his head, expression still severely aggravated.

"Perhaps the mutt confused its true prey for the first thing it saw… it would not surprise me." Starscream offered with a mocking glance in the Predacon's direction, making the beast narrow its optics at the seeker, mandible lifting to reveal its fangs.

Megatron didn't respond to Starscream, instead only keeping his arms crossed as he stared broodily on as Shockwave continued his inspection of the new asset. The Predacon remained still, his processor registering an unspoken protocol that his creator was never to be trifled with. But the longer he suffered under Megatron's hard gaze the more the failure made the Predacon angry again.

"What a grave disappointment this must be for you Master," Starscream purred sympathetically, and the Predacon felt his optics twitch in anger at the mere sound of the seeker's voice. "And to make matters worse, because it cannot _speak_ , we have no way of knowing _why_ the predacon failed so miserably." Starscream then turned to look at the Predacon, a triumphant smirk plastered onto his face. "Poor, mute, mindless creature…"

The Predacon visibly shook with rage as he growled menacingly. The insults that wounded his pride made him want to reduce the cybertronian to molten metal. Hatred burned within the Predacon. He had not known hatred before, for it was difficult to obtain hatred when one had only been consciously living for only several hours. The autobots merely had his disgust and to be treated as any prey could be – little more than shells to kill. And yet, the Commander was awarded to be the first person the Predacon would ever hate, and that hate ran deep.

"I would not be surprised if the creature failed to possess the collective intelligence to even kill its puny human." Starscream rubbed in, either not noticing or ignoring the deathly glares he was receiving from the Predacon.

But that had been the last insult to injury. The Predacon reared its head back with a mighty scream of rage, his jaws lighting up with the orange glow of the flames inside of him. He wanted to charge and tear Starscream apart, but both Megatron and his creator were watching him warily, as if waiting for him to step out of line. The Predacon settled for hissing at Screamer, barely able to hold himself back enough, knowing that he didn't need to cause himself any further ill-faith from the Lord of the Decepticons.

But Starscream really wanted to see what he could do? Fine. He would show him exactly who he was dealing with, and then maybe the seeker might change his disrespectful attitude. No one would speak of a predacon in that way, least of all _him,_ the cowardly moron. If Starscream truly doubted the Predacon could kill a human, he would prove them all wrong.

Snatching up the human in his claws as he stood, he quickly threw himself over the side of the fortress, opening his massive wings and soaring through the air. He would show them. He would show them the walls of the fortress decorated in human blood!


	3. Predacon's Toy

**Author's Note: Again, a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far - especially the guest reviewers, I may not be able to reply via PM but I still read your thoughts and thank you for every word of support!**

* * *

The Predacon's Toy

* * *

He glided upon an updraft of wind that took him right to the west wing of the tower's many battlements. The warship Nemesis was docked not far away from where the Predacon landed, his three out of four legs clanking loudly as they hit the metal tower, as his fourth leg was currently holding his human prisoner. Through scanning the building, he knew that there were pens and large holding cells situated not far inside the large entrance of the tower, within distance of the warship, perhaps in the case that the Lord Megatron or his creator would need him to guard the vessel at some point. Turning, holding the human in his claws, he stalked into the fortress.

In a room large enough to fit him comfortably, he deposited the human unceremoniously onto the floor at the far wall. Immediately the human scrambled up to her feet and ran as fast as her tiny legs could carry her away from him. A shrill shriek built in her throat as she ran at the wall, pressing herself against it as she tried to find a way out desperately. At her own helplessness, the Predacon felt a wave of disgust at his own stupidity. He had been naïve to falsely hope that this pathetic organic could give him something akin to his own kind, which the girl was clearly not. He almost cursed that little necklace hanging off of her throat that taunted him so, and thought that now the girl could provide another type of function. She would amuse him.

He swiped at her with his claws, and she was dwarfed by them, for she was only as tall as one of his mandibles. The girl screamed and dived to avoid him, of course his aim had been poor in he first place, but he had not really wanted to get her in the first swipe – where would be the fun in that?

But he was surprised when she recovered quickly from her dive and sprinted past his front at an impressive speed as she made to head towards the exit. The Predacon felt his mandibles flare as he growled in excitement. He'd known the human would be fun, and this proved it, for as a predator, he loved nothing more than the chase.

He stamped a back leg into her path, and the girl screamed again as she almost tripped over her own feet as she swerved suddenly into a different direction. She ran underneath him, going for the other side of the room. As she came out the other side, the Predacon lightly swiped his tail at her, but he still heard the loud impact and the grunt of pain as the girl was sent flying through the air. She landed roughly and rolled over the unforgiving metal floor. She groaned as she tried to shake her dizzy head, attempting to climb back to her feet, her cheeks were wet where water was leaking from her eyes and nose, and a helpless sob burst from her throat. The child whimpered as she backed up before turning and running.

She made a beeline for the wall, and the Predacon's optics widened when he realised that she had reached a grate leading to an air vent. The vent would only be big enough for something about her size, and the Predacon couldn't help but feel impressed at the human's resourcefulness. The girl grabbed at the edge of the grate, attempting to pull at it and even try to turn the screws to get the grate loose. A desperately frightened scream built up from her as she noticed him coming towards her. But she did not abandon her cause even when his shadow fell upon her.

He struck his claws out so that they hit the grating next to her, and she screamed as she flinched and dived the other way, backing herself into a corner. The Predacon slowly scraped his claws down the wall, leaving deep indentions from his claw marks as a horrid screech filled the air, the grate pulled down until it was lopsided and hanging by a single screw. The girl continued to back herself into the corner, huddling on the floor as she looked up at him with fearful and tear-filled eyes. But he held no sympathy for her or the humiliation she had made him endure – he would show Starscream exactly what he could do. So he brought his head towards her, mandibles flaring to show his closely knit and gleaming sharp metal teeth. He snarled at her, yellow optics narrowing as he –

" _NO_!" The girl suddenly screamed, her face contorting with a sudden defiant rage. She struck both of her hands out and hit his jaw. The Predacon recoiled a little, staring at the girl. The blow hadn't hurt, nothing so puny could hurt him, but it was merely the shock of what she had done that made him motionless. The organic had courage to strike him, to fight him and deny him, even though she knew that the fight was pointless she still tried, and that somehow impressed him. He would give it to the girl, she was brave.

But bravery was also very _stupid_.

He lunged at her, his teeth clamping around her body with bruising force, though he didn't pierce her skin, no matter how easily it would have been. The girl screamed and cried and sobbed, garbling nonsense as she begged him for mercy and fought against him and cursed him all at the same time. She kicked and struggled, and he growled before he tossed her away. The girl cried out in pain as she landed once again heavily, and rolled onto her back, gasping for breath as tears continued to leak from her eyes.

The Predacon stalked towards her, knowing that his game was coming to an end. Though he could probably draw out the human's suffering if he toyed with her enough to break her slowly, but he was not so cruel as to draw out a death like that. So he loomed over her, screeching as he knew he had won.

He expected her to cower, to flinch away and to close her eyes to deny herself the knowledge that her death was coming. But she didn't. As she lay on the floor, she stared up at him through sad and tear-filled eyes, staring right into his optics, unflinchingly. She did not cower, she did not beg, instead in her silent stare she seemed to be judging and almost scolding in that look. It made him pause a moment as he stared back at her. This human was brave… very brave indeed. He hadn't thought that humans could be brave. Puny and weak, may be, but this… this was something else. She faced down an adversary she knew she couldn't win against, and yet she didn't seem to fear death. What was this?

"Just eat me already." She spat out in a cold and sad voice, her green eyes leaking more of the moisture from her body. "I've no one who'll miss me."

That stopped the Predacon dead in his tracks for a moment. He tilted his head to look at her in curiosity and confusion as he felt his spark be pulled at her words. He knew those words, he knew they came from loneliness. He knew what that was. Even though he had only been operational for a day, he could feel the absence of other predacons, and knew that he was alone in this world, possibly this universe. And that thought made him ache inside in a way that couldn't ever truly go away, no matter how much he tried to think it would, or even when he distracted himself with the hunt or this little game. But this girl knew what loneliness was as well. And she was brave, and she wasn't what he expected from a human child like her, for she had spirit, a fire inside her, and she was defiant. She'd impressed him, and he felt that kinship to her again as he recognised the fact that she was all alone… just like him.

He looked at the necklace of the green dragon's head again. The very thing that had made him spare her before, had made his spark believe that she was somehow like him. Could there be a coincidence? His instincts told him not. He was lonely, and so was she, but perhaps… they couldn't be so lonely together?

She was fun, and a challenge, but she would be easy to contain. And also it would anger the Seeker Startscream to no end with her existence, as he had already proven his distaste for her. He may try to get rid of her, but the Predacon wouldn't allow that, and it would cause Starscream no end of frustration. Seeing the second in command squirm would be worth it in itself, and so he decided. He would keep this human… this pet.

He stepped back away from her, lowering his mandibles back into place around his mouth the growl dying in his throat as his posture completely calmed. He walked away from the girl, knowing that she was staring at him in disbelieving confusion. He sat himself at the other end of the room close to the door, before laying himself down and resting his head on his forelegs. To all outward appearances, he seemed to be ignoring the girl, as if he had forgotten she was there, though he was very attentive to secretly watch for her reaction.

She stared at him as if she were pondering if this was reality or not. Her expression of confusion and disbelief did not leave her round pale face. She kept herself in the middle of the room, tense and ready to jump up as if she thought he were playing a trick on her and was about to spring the trap the moment she put her guard down. He contemplated giving her a little scare, but decided against it and continued to seemingly ignore her. Only after half an hour of waiting with nothing happening, did the girl finally give in and looked about in great incredulity.

"Wait, first you attack me then you give me the silent treatment? What gives?" She demanded, before shakily standing, looking at her hands before staring at the predacon before her as if she were angry. "What is happening here? Why did you take me?!"

He could not answer her because he had not the words to. Even if he wished he did. She growled to herself, and the emotions in the sound were so mixed and conflicting, both angry yet so sad at the same time. The Predacon was most interested by the displays of emotion the human provided. In such a short space of time she had shown him so many emotions. Were all humans like this? He thought as she marched across the cell and sat herself in the opposite corner, her eyes watching him suspiciously as if she feared he would turn and attack her at any moment.

"I'm going to die in this hell-hole," She murmured to herself as she looked about at the bleak and grey cell. "And you're gonna kill me. I know it." She cast a bitter look his way, but the Predacon cared not for her pettiness.

But after a while, she dropped her gaze down to the dragon-head-necklace in her hands. She began to whisper to it, and the Predacon raised his head as he watched her with interest. He narrowed his eyes on the object, curious because of his earlier connection to it. He stood and leaned towards the girl, but she whimpered as she instantly tensed and pushed herself into the corner as far as she could, her eyes wide and desperate as she stared up at him. The Predacon slowed his movements, and made sure his mandibles were pressed against his face to conceal his teeth. He looked at her with focused optics, until she met his gaze, before he gestured with his head towards the necklace still clutched tightly in her hands.

The girl frowned in confusion, not exactly sure what he was asking for. The Predacon had to hold back a growl at his frustration at not being able to communicate his wishes. But he brought his head closer, even with the girl shrinking away from him and trembling as he drew near. He threw her a pointed look, before bobbing his head in a very specific way towards the necklace. It was rather embarrassing, which only made him want to growl all the more, though he didn't.

He had to repeat the process a few frustrating times before realisation finally dawned on the human's features and she looked down at the green necklace in her hand. She looked at the dragon-necklace, before looking up at the predacon, almost as if with suspicion.

"What? It's a dragon, just like you." She shrugged, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.

The Predacon didn't know why, but for some reason this solidified the belief in his spark that he was somehow connected to the symbol on her necklace and therefore to her. For some reason, hearing her say the words, and in a way as if she already knew his own deduction, it seemed to make him believe it all the more. It was so confusing that it gave him a processor-ache but at the same time it felt so simple. He wanted to show that, and looked down at his clawed foreleg, optics narrowing in concentration as he tried to command what he wanted to be done. Hesitantly, as he if he were forcing his limbs to do something unnatural, he brought his claw up, ignoring the human's flinch, and pointed towards the dragon necklace. He then brought his claw back before he pointed it to the predacon insignia on his own chest. The girl narrowed her eyes, leaning forward despite herself as she tried to get a better look at what he was pointing at. Once she saw it, she eased back and looked at his face with that same suspicion.

"Yeah, a dragon, like you. Just like I told you." She said.

The Predacon felt his spark lift a little at the confirmation. He felt so interested in what they were saying, for now he knew that there was some connection here, and he wanted to ask so many questions, but knew he didn't have a ways to ask.

A wave of fatigue hit him, and he realised how tired he was... A recharge seemed to call to his spark and he didn't want to fight it, remembering the very exhausting first day he had had. The Predacon yawned as he turned and curled his massive body at the other end of the room, blocking the exit. His optics drooped as he prepared for a recharge, knowing that the human wouldn't be able to escape so long as he was here. The human in question was watching him, her eyes staying on him suspiciously, but he could see that she was tired also, and hurting and wanting to rest and recover. But she seemed wary in the case that he still wanted to harm her, and when it appeared that he did not as he ignored her as he prepared to slip into recharge, the human settled back into her corner, laying herself on the ground reluctantly.

"If you're going to kill me eventually…" She murmured softly in a voice that he almost didn't hear. "You might as well know my name is Miya. Someone should know who I am before I die."

 _Miya…_ The Predacon thought over the designation she had given him. It was strange, did all humans have such boring and simplistic names? But he was interested. She still seemed to think that he would kill her in the end, but she had still given him her name. Most interesting… He watched her as she huddled around herself, folding her arms close to her chest for warmth as she curled into a ball, eyes closing as her miserable face shut out the world as she prepared to sleep. The Predacon kept an eye on her until his scanners picked up that her brainwaves had evened out, and her breathing was deeper and her heartbeat calmer, indicating that she was asleep. The Predacon yawned himself as he felt another wave of fatigue hit him as he laid his head back down to rest.

His optics last drifted onto the girl before they closed. She was a puzzle and a source of entertainment. And to get to the bottom of said puzzle, would require further analysis. But later. For now, he would recharge.

* * *

 **Pleeeeeeeease review!**


	4. Predacon's Inmate

**Author's Note: woo-hoo! More readers! :D You guys honestly have no idea how much it means to me that you read, like, and review this story! I've already spoken to some of you via PM, but I still feel a need to say thank you to everyone who is reviewing, for your comments inspire me and really make me want to make this story the best that it can be. I love all reviews, including constructive criticism, so please leave a review at the bottom of the page and I will be sincerely grateful.**

 **The song featured in this chapter is "The Reason" by Hoobastank. It's a song that I've picked as the main theme for this story because I think that it represents Miya and Predaking's eventual relationship to one another very well, as well as it being a brilliant theme for Predaking himself for over the course of this story.**

* * *

Predacon's Inmate

* * *

When the next solar cycle arrived, the Predacon was greeted with a very unpleasant occurrence.

Due to his failure at bringing down his autobot prey the previous night, the Predacon was to be placed in the holding cell he had claimed and kept there until the Lord Megatron could have some further use of him. Starscream and Shockwave were the ones who came in order to carry out the procedure of actually shutting the door – as the Predacon had only been using his massive bulk to block the exit so his prisoner couldn't escape. Needless to say that the Predacon was not happy with such a decision. Especially when Screamer decided to mock him loudly when he saw that the human child was still alive. The Predacon hissed at the Seeker, but did not desire to go back on his decision. He discovered that about himself in the moment when Starscream was cowering away from his teeth: once the Predacon decided upon something, he was committed to it.

He would have openly protested against this decision, but his creator calmly ordered it of him. The Predacon knew that his creator was to be obeyed, also because his creator was respectful and not annoying – unlike a certain _someone_. So when Starscream huddled behind Shockwave, the Predacon snorted as he allowed the door to the holding cell to be closed.

As soon as the space was enclosed, it had an immediate effect on the Predacon. Like any predator kept in too small a space, he thought himself trapped and began to pace in front of the door. His spinal struts were rigid and his frame stiff as frustration and bitterness at his own confinement began to build within him. The desire to burst apart the metal walls and break free occurred to him, but he kept himself in place. He clawed at the wall and screeched loudly at one point, before sitting down and glaring at the door, as if he expected it to burst into flames from the intensity of his stare.

His very angry and negative behaviour also had an effect on his human, the girl who'd named herself as Miya. She kept her distance and stayed in her corner of the room. She hardly made a sound but always kept her attention focused onto the clearly agitated Predacon. It was obvious she didn't want to get in his way and she was trying to keep her distance in order to avoid his wrath. He was grateful that she was letting him have his space. It helped to sooth his burning frustration that he didn't have to deal with her as well.

He eventually calmed as the solar cycle wore on, and by noon he had taken a nap in order to sleep off the remains of his anger. At some point during the afternoon, a group of vehicons had come by, quickly opened the doors and thrown in a large cube of energon before quickly closing the door once more in a state of panic. It was as if they feared that the Predacon would have sprung to attack the moment the door opened, and the Predacon's mandibles twitched in amusement. He then stalked towards the cube of energon, he could sense the contents within the box itself, and easily tore a hole in the top of the box to reveal the bright blue liquid within.

He began to gorge himself on the life-giving substance, and somewhere between his frenzied consumption, he somewhat noticed that the human was looking at him curiously, even leaning forwards in order to try and see better. This was the first time today that Miya had ventured away from what the Predacon had deemed as he "safe zone" a tiny part of the cell they shared that was strictly hers. It was a part she had claimed to be her only safe place, and on an instinctual level he knew not to cross that line.

As he continued to feed, she scooted a little closer. Apparently her childish curiosity outweighed her caution as she tried to see what was in the cube. The Predacon gave the slightest growl, for this was his share of the sustenance, and she would have her turn when he saw fit. The girl instantly backed away a step, eyes wide and heart beating frantically in fear. But he quieted and resumed to feast on his rations and ignored her. When she spotted the energon within, her eyes widened and seemed only to hold yet more of this seemingly boundless curiosity.

"So, you don't eat real food…" She spoke softly, to herself he suspected. He then finished his meal as he looked up to see her eyes travelling across his frame, and taking in every plate of armour, every slate of metal and every gleam of bolts. She then looked at his face, at his optics most specifically. "You're really a robot?"

Once again, the softness of her voice seemed to indicate that she was talking to herself, but he still felt the need to answer her. Had she not come to this analysis earlier? Did she truly think him some organic or even the construct of one? How illogical. It looked as if the human-child was in need of an education, and he would offer her one the best way he knew without actually giving her answers. He would demonstrate.

He bulged out his chest towards her, and made the plates on his chest shift as if he were about to breathe fire, though he didn't even light his generator. He then pushed them back into place, before looking at the girl's wide and awe filled eyes. But he didn't think she believed him yet. So he held out a foreleg to her, and with a claw of the opposite leg, he pulled back a panel until he revealed the wires and mechanisms beneath. Miya leaned forward in order to see, and when she gasped, he allowed the plate to slide back into place. She looked up at him, as if wondering what to make of him now.

"A robot dragon…" She murmured. The Predacon knew roughly that a dragon was what her necklace was, and seeing as how he had already accepted that he was close to the representation in the necklace, he deemed her deduction correct enough. "If it wasn't scary it might be cool…"

He didn't know what she meant by 'cool'. Did she want him to reduce his core temperature? Why? The uploaded information on his processor indicated that humans were fleshlings who needed heat in order to function. So why would she ask for him to be cold?

He decided not to give himself a processor-ache and pushed the matter aside to think about later.

After that they both became bored. Obviously bored. Miya sat in her corner, sighing heavily regularly, and fiddling with her necklace or playing with her auburn hair between her fingertips. The Predacon lay on his end of the room, not asleep, simply growling inaudibly to himself as he thumped his tail against the floor. He couldn't believe that on his second day, he was cooped up inside this cell!

He heard a soft screech of metal on metal, and turned his head sharply to see Miya still sitting at her end of the room. He spotted in her hand that she had gotten one of the screws from the grate he had broken last night, and she was now scratching the wall with it in order to make scratches on the wall. Her head was leaning onto her other hand and she sighed again in obvious boredom.

Interested to see what she was doing – and because he had nothing else to do – as silently as he could, he moved across the cell until he could look at what she was doing. With the sharp end of the screw, she was scratching lines into the wall, but in a seemingly random order. One here, another way over there, one high, another in the middle and then another below… There seemed to be no order to it. Or maybe that was it. The randomness may perhaps have been instead a pattern, for after all, encrypted codes were made out of seemingly random numbers and letters. He didn't think her trying to write an encrypted message, as there was no way other humans could pick up the sounds of the scratches nor could anyone else ever have the chance to read them. So then what was she doing? Was she mapping out something he couldn't see? Did humans even have that kind of ability?

He must have made a noise with his confusion, because Miya suddenly stiffened before she turned around and her eyes widened as she saw him so close. She shrieked as she instinctively threw the screw in her hand at him as she backed herself up against the wall. The Predacon hissed as the screw bounced off of his head and rolled across the floor. He threw the human a warning glance, daring her to try such a thing again. But she remained huddled against the wall. He then looked at the scratchings behind her, tilting his head as he tried to understand what it was she had been doing. Very curious because he wanted to see how it turned out, he used his tail to sweep up the fallen screw and slide it towards the girl until it bumped against her hand. The girl quickly grabbed hold of it and slid it back away from her as if she didn't want to be caught dead near it.

"I wasn't doing anything!" Miya said quickly, her eyes wide and never leaving him. He snorted at her, for he had clearly seen that she had and the evidence was right behind her. Narrowing his optics, he once more slid the screw back towards her. But again, she picked it up and threw it away. "I don't want it!" She pleaded.

But didn't she want to finish her… whatever she was doing? If she didn't, _he_ certainly wanted her to. He wanted to solve the puzzle of what it was she was trying to create, and he could only do that once she was finished. So he slid the screw back towards her, this time with a very firm snort. As the screw thumped against her leg, Miya slowly picked up the screw, before looking at the Predacon with confusion as she raised a brow at him.

"Do you… want to play?" She guessed as she held up the screw.

Play? Was she now asking him to participate in some human ritual game? If so humans were so fickle things to change their attention so quickly. He still wanted to know what she had been doing, but considering that he was utterly bored and the human could provide some amusement, he decided to indulge her. When he stared at her expectantly, she seemed to take the hint, and threw the screw.

The Predacon easily blocked the projectile's path as he swatted it out of the air, and made it bounce towards her. Miya ducked in order to avoid the sharp end from impaling her – as the screw was big enough that its head was about the size of her hand – and the Predacon made a mental note that he would need to be more careful. He hadn't broken her when he'd toyed with her last night, so he wouldn't break her now. But Miya sat back up, licking her lips nervously before she threw the screw in a different direction.

Ah, so the human could change her tactics? Good. That ability might serve her well in the world. For if it was one thing any creature in the universe needed to be, it was to be able to adapt. The human was obviously physically weak, as was the rest of her species, but if she could keep herself one step ahead then she might just survive. Perhaps he could help to teach her that. Because despite the change of direction the screw was still easy to deflect. He used his tail to swat the screw out of the air again, pinning it to the floor before he tossed her a look that clearly expressed he wanted a challenge. And then he slid the screw towards her.

"Okay, so you don't want to just fetch…" She murmured, for once not nervously, merely in thought as if she were trying to work out a puzzle.

She then all of a sudden moved, but this time she didn't throw the screw as he expected, but instead she slid the screw across the ground, and right between his legs. He was surprised that she had managed to catch him off guard as he saw the screw disappear underneath him, but quickly gathered himself as he stamped a back leg onto the screw, halting it in its path.

"Huh, I didn't think you'd see that one coming." Miya said, but her voice sounded ever so slightly impressed. She then looked up at him as he stared down at her, and when eyes met optics, she seemed to grow a little nervous once more, but she didn't cower away from him. "You're not as dumb as the… other ones say you are."

It was a statement and not a question, and he knew which _other ones_ she was talking about. She'd heard what Starscream assumed of him, even the others such as Megatron and Shockwave possibly sharing the same views. But she had been with him all of nineteen hours and had already deduced that he was much more then he appeared. He was surprised by this, and yet… he appreciated it that she noticed. She didn't hold onto the belief that he was a mindless beast like Starscream, even when he gave evidence to the contrary. Miya didn't treat him like an animal either, but as a powerful being in his own right and she also spoke to him with the respect he felt he was deserving of. Admittedly he knew that all of this was born of fear on her part, but that didn't mean he appreciated it any less.

He rumbled to her softly as he continued to stare his yellow optics down into her green eyes.

* * *

That night, the Predacon was awoken from recharge by strange sounds. Soft grunting and a slight squeak was received through his audio receptors, enough to bring the Predacon around from drowsiness as he blinked his optics open before he turned in order to face the source of the noise.

He saw Miya at the broken grate, the soft grunting being her breaths as she tried to push the half-hanging-on grate further open and force herself to squeeze inside the air vent with great difficulty. The squeaking came whenever she tried to work the last screw loose. It was obvious that she didn't have the strength to force the grate open in one try, so she was having to try and lever it open.

The Predacon was so shocked and disbelieving at the sight for a moment, that he didn't actually register what was happening until she managed to get her top half into the air vent. Then, reality slammed into the Predacon's processor, and fury ignited through his frame. He screeched, bottom jaw parting and mandibles flaring wide in a truly terrifying sight, and he saw the girl's body tense before she frantically tried to scramble into the air duct.

But the Predacon was much faster than that, as he lunged forward and snagged his teeth onto her baggy jumper before he wrenched her back into the room. Miya screamed as she was lifted out of the vent and into the air, before the Predacon tossed her across the room. She landed heavily with a cry of pain and seemed to be struggling to get up as her limbs shook underneath her own weight. But the Predacon didn't allow himself to feel pity, for he was far too angry with the human. She had just tried to escape! After he had spared her and felt as if they had something in common, she had still tried to escape. He was enraged at her nerve, at the insult that such an attempt made to him.

She turned her head enough to look at him with a terrified expression as she peeked at him beneath the locks of auburn hair that had fallen in front of her face. The Predacon growled savagely, before he slammed his tail into the grate she had just tried to escape through. The metal screamed as it was bent and smashed until when he moved in order for her to see, it was revealed that he had bent the metal just enough that it was forced into the hole in order to block it, and would be extremely hard to remove where it was jammed in hard.

Then, the Predacon focused his optics on the girl, narrowing them dangerously as he stormed towards her. He screeched at her with a terrifying pitch, flaring his mandibles so that she could glimpse his teeth. The human screamed as she huddled on the floor, pure fear etched onto every feature as she visibly trembled and awaited her fate.

The Predacon brought his face close until he was only a foot away from her, and roared at her. The human cried out as she covered her ears against the sound, huddling there as he drew out the sound as he continued to screech in her face. Finally he stopped, and snorted for good measure as he turned away from her with a disgusted look in his optics.

He had meant what he realised about himself earlier. Once he had decided something, he would see it through. He had decided to keep the human, and keep her he would. And besides, she was his only source of entertainment in this cell, and he would probably have need of her to amuse him still. The scare and lecture he had given her would surely teach her not to cross him again. A second time he would not be so forgiving.

He laid himself in his usual spot, but he did not relax, and merely laid his head on his forelegs as he glared at her through his optics. He kept his gaze fixed on her as she eventually calmed enough to pick herself up, whimpering to herself as she stumbled and limped through her bruising towards the other end of the room. She collapsed against the wall, and slid down it until she sat on the floor, softly weeping as she cradled her injured side, as she had landed on that side twice now and the Predacon knew that it must have bruised.

The Predacon continued to watch her, and when she continued to weep for over an hour, he began to think that something was wrong with her. He made to move closer so that his scanners might do a thorough search to see if he had accidentally broken any of her bones. But the moment he moved, she recoiled away from him and whimpered pathetically. The Predacon got the message. She was in her safe zone: she was frightened and it was obvious she wouldn't want him near her. Despite his annoyance, he would offer her the same courtesy she had given him this morning, and so wouldn't invade her space.

The night dragged on and the human didn't go back to exhausted sleep, and neither did the Predacon slip into recharge. She wept softly to herself, and after this carried on for at least two hours, the Predacon seemed to suspect that it wasn't because of pain or fear anymore, and more than likely from sadness. Though he didn't know what she had to be sad over, seeing as he hadn't killed her. But he kept his optics focused on her, now far too suspicious to even allow her the chance of trying to escape again, and so he guarded her vigilantly.

After a few hours, her weeping quietened, until eventually not a sound was heard from her at all. He would have thought she had cried herself to sleep, but a quick look at her open eyes told him otherwise. She simply sat leaning against the cold metal wall, staring out into the distance with a blank expression on her face, red streaks from her tears running down her cheeks. After almost an hour of silence, a sound started to be produced from the human, so soft it sounded as if she didn't mean for it to be heard, perhaps she didn't even realise that she was making the noise at all. It wasn't a sound like her usual talking, but it was more… melodious. The Predacon's databanks remembered from the uploaded information that humans could sing, which was musical sounds produced through the throat.

Suddenly intrigued, and realising that the human wasn't paying attention to him, he came silently towards her so that he might hear what she was singing.

 _"I'm not a perfect person..._

 _There's many things I wish I didn't do_  
 _But I continue learning_  
 _I never meant to do those things to you_  
 _And so I have to say before I go_  
 _That I just want you to know_

 _I've found a reason for me_  
 _To change who I used to be_  
 _A reason to start over new_  
 _and the reason is you..."_

As if she could sense him near, Miya broke off in her song and turned, and screamed when she saw that the Predacon's head was only several feet away from her. She cowered away from him, but he wanted to hear more, and he couldn't if she was frightened. He didn't know why, but the song felt good as it ran through his audio receptors, and the rhyming words were interesting. So, he simply laid his head down onto the floor, and looked up at her with expectant yellow optics as he waited for her to continue. When she still seemed frightened, he rumbled softly, trying to coax the sounds out of her. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, and she watched him as he looked at her.

The girl eventually allowed herself to look confused as she watched him, but when he didn't move and seemed to await for the song, she seemed to calm down a little. She tried to ignore him, looking away as she began to hum to herself, and the Predacon realised that the song was meant to be used to try and calm her. He laid his head further into a relaxed position, almost exposing his throat as he laid on his side to try and appear calmer. It seemed to make the realisation on the girl, for she looked at him with surprised eyes, before her lips twitched slightly and she continued her song.

 _"I'm sorry that I hurt you..._

 _It's something I must live with everyday_  
 _And all the pain I put you through_  
 _I wish that I could take it all away_  
 _And be the one who catches all your tears_  
 _That's why I need you to hear_

 _I've found a reason for me_  
 _To change who I used to be_  
 _A reason to start over new_  
 _and the reason is You..._

 _I've found a reason to show_  
 _A side of me you didn't know_  
 _A reason for all that I do_

 _And the reason is you..."_

As she sang softly in her sweet childish voice, the Predacon felt all of his circuits lessen their hold on him, not being so tense as he relaxed, releasing a sigh of contentment as he did so. The girl didn't have a superb voice – though to be frank, he had never heard singing before so he couldn't judge what was good or not – but she wasn't terrible either. Yet her voice and the melody seemed to sooth him, and the words seeped into his processor without him even realising. The Predacon noticed also that the girl seemed to be affected by her own song as well, as she relaxed under the soothing melody, and soon her tune began to form long gaps between each line as she slowly drifted off, until she fell asleep.

The Predacon moved his mandibles in a beastly smirk, as he gazed upon the sleeping child. He had been right: there was definitely more to her then he'd first realised. But then he yawned himself, as recharge seemed to call to his spark once more. His body felt relaxed and drowsy, and he wondered for a moment if the song was hypnotic in order to make all who listen to it slip into recharge. But he brushed such nonsense aside. For now, he enjoyed the feeling of actually being _content_ for the first time in his two-day existence, and so fell into peaceful recharge.


	5. Predacon's Entertainer

Predacon's Entertainer

* * *

As the next solar cycle arrived, the Predacon sensed that the atmosphere had somehow changed in the cell. There was no longer the silent tension carried in the air. Miya awoke a little calmer, though the Predacon could still see that she was tense and unknowing of her environment. When he came out of recharge, he stayed away from her safe zone, and she gave him his respectful distance. They kept to themselves, but things between the pair had lost their edge. The Predacon believed that this was due to the fact that he had laid out the rules for her to know: he would not harm her and she would not escape. A simple exchange, but one they seemed happy to maintain as the morning dragged on.

But of course, the Predacon being a rather curios creature, he wanted to see what boundaries he could push. It was a simple tactic engraved into ancient instincts: you pushed to see how far you could bend the rules, and then you could know exactly what you were dealing with.

So after the Predacon had been fed on his morning rations of energon, he decided that he would amuse himself by looking to his human for amusement once again. She wasn't scratching at the wall again, she simply sat in the corner quietly, her head drooping and eyes sunken in as she looked like she was ready to fall back to sleep at any moment. She also seemed a little paler than usual, and not even her foot had its regular tap from boredom. But if she was tired, the Predacon wouldn't let it get in the way of his own fun.

He brought his head close to her body, and the girl rolled her eyes to look at him before shuffling away. The Predacon was not deterred, and so brought his head closer still, the edge of one of his mandibles tapping against her leg until it reached around it and pulled her away from the wall. Miya grunted as she unhooked her leg from his sharp mandible and pathetically shoved him away with her elbow as she turned back towards the wall.

"Go away…" She moaned in a hoarse voice.

The Predacon narrowed his optics at the girl's back, before he hooked his mandibles around her body and pulled her back into the room so fast that the girl grunted in confusion before a shriek of realisation burst from her throat. He dragged her into the middle of the room before he released her, and then nudged her roughly with his head so that she rolled to the side. The Predacon wanted to try and see if he could get away with his rough play with her, or just how much she would allow. He faked pawing at her with his claws, but the girl lunged away from him, running on surprisingly shaky legs.

He stamped his other foreleg into her path and the girl shrieked as she tripped over her own feet to come to a skidding stop. Her eyes were wide and white with fear, he could see the analysis in those green eyes, that she thought he'd suddenly turned on her. As she crawled away from him across the floor, the Predacon wanted to reassure his human pet that this was all a game. He brought his head towards her retreating body, a soft rumble echoing through his frame as he tried to make her understand. She either didn't know the meaning or didn't hear the sound as she kept crawling away. Giving a frustrated snort, he hooked his lower mandibles around one of her legs and pulled back towards him.

"No! Stop! No!" The girl shrieked as she suddenly twisted her body so that she was on her back, and held out her arm. It must have been in some useless attempt on her part to push him away, for the palm of her hand landed squarely in between his optics.

The Predacon instantly stilled at her touch. He didn't know why, but at the feel of her soft and warm hand on his face-plates, his spinal-struts went completely stiff and every metal plate on his body felt like it turned to stone. His processor went blank and he didn't quite know what to make of the sensation. Both of them were stuck in the moment, him frozen in place with her hand on his head.

Was he meant to enjoy this or reject it? He didn't know. His creator had petted him before, but his touch was always cold and sharp and surgical. Miya's hand was all softness and warmth, he could feel his metal plates sinking into her palm to cushion him, and the warmth made his energon swim a little faster as it tried to reach for the heat. After careful examination, the Predacon found that he… liked it.

And then a sound was heard, one that shocked the pair of them when they realised what it was. The Predacon didn't even register that it had been him who had made the noise until he felt his chest vibrate from the sound. He had hummed in contented pleasure at her touch. Miya retracted her hand instinctively, but she looked up at him with wide and astonished eyes. His humming immediately stopped, for he found the spot where her hand had been yearned for her touch. Miya looked at her hands and then back up at him, her innocent little gaze holding such amazement, as if she had just witnessed the impossible.

"Whoa…" She whispered. "You're… you're warm," She said this as if she didn't expect such a thing to be possible. "I mean, I thought seeing as how you're… you know, a robot, you would be cold hard metal. But… you're _really_ warm."

He didn't know why this should be such a surprise, for what did she expect when he housed inside of him a generator that could produce flames hot enough to melt solid steel. But he didn't complain when that curious gleam once more took over her big green eyes, and she hesitantly held out her hand towards him, stopping just an inch short of his face-plates. There was a slight tremble in her limb, but not from fear but… apprehension. The Predacon didn't hesitate when he leaned forward and placed his head against her palm, closing his optics as he made that humming sound once more.

He heard Miya release a short exhale of exhilaration, possibly from the way her heart was accelerating its momentum quite considerably. He then felt her other hand slowly reach up in order to touch the side of his face just below his left optic. He slowly opened his optics in order to watch her in fascination and slight careful consideration. The girl seemed to be in her own world, as her attention was diverted straight to her hands at that moment, her lips twitching upwards ever so slightly in excited curiosity. She then began to run her hands over him, her palms sliding along his metal plates and the Predacon couldn't help but tilt his head so that her warm and soothing touch could have a better angle. Continuing to explore him, the girl seemed to lose her inhibitions as she worked her way down the length of his massive head towards his neck.

But then, her hands touched a specific spot. Her palm brushed the crook of his jaw, and for some reason the Predacon felt electricity currents spark through his cables at the spot. He didn't understand why, but that place there just seemed to be delightful to the Predacon's senses. And so he rewarded such a find by making an odd sound: it was like the humming, but it was deeper and more rhythmic like the throttle of an engine. Miya halted in her tracks at the sound but she didn't retract her hands. She gently placed both her hands on the delightful spot, gently rubbing her hands in smooth circles over the overlapping metal plates. The sound the Predacon made became more intense and he shifted his head so that she could reach it easier, and closed his optics in obvious bliss. He heard a snort and opened an optic to find Miya smiling. It took him a moment to realise this, as he saw her lips curved upwards like a bow in order to form a sweet little smile that made her cheeks crinkle.

The uploaded information in his processor indicated that smiling was a way humans signalled they were feeling a positive emotion. But this wasn't like the full teeth-baring grimacing smile that the information indicated. It was like a secret smile. And he decided that he liked that smile.

"I didn't know robot dragons could purr…" She murmured. So she knew what the noise he was making was? She then began to scratch her fingernails against the metal plates on that sweet spot behind his jaw, and the Predacon's purring became even louder as his tail swished back and forth happily. Her smile grew a little wider and she continued to fuss over the gigantic metal construct before her, and with each of her touches the Predacon felt her muscles lose their stiffness as the fear inside of her melted away.

Slowly allowing his purring to quieten, he opened an optic to look at the little girl who was so close that he was able to see her face perfectly clearly. Her round little pale face with eyes that were the shade of green forest leaves, and they brightened her whole face even when she had dark circles beneath her eyes. Her eyes were so expressive and her auburn hair fell around her face in just a way that it framed those eyes to make them stand out.

The human child looked back at him, and that secret smile twitched at her lips as she stared into his optics with seemingly no fear at all. It was as if with those touches the last chains that held her back was released, and he could see something new dawning in her green eyes. He sensed it to be the first, tiniest layer of trust. The Predacon looked back at her, allowing his warm yellow optics to wash over her, and he felt his spark catch a little at the small smile he already liked so much grow a little wider.

But it wasn't long after that that they were disturbed.

Miya had gone back to her scratchings on the wall, and whilst the Predacon was still interested in what she was doing, a short recharge had also called to him and he decided to nap. And besides, despite this small layer of trust between them, he didn't want to push his luck. So he'd been lounging in his usual spot, when his very acute audio receptors had picked up the sound of several pairs of footsteps coming closer. Usually no one came to this end of the fortress, so to have so many at once made the Predacon alert immediately as he raised his head to watch the door with narrowed optics.

The door slid open to reveal Starscream and several of the identical soldier-bots known as vehicons standing in the doorway. The Predacon growled at the hated individual and current intruder into his den, and Miya snapped her head to the door, her face going pale and her heart-rate increasing in fear. Starscream didn't enter the Predacon's domain, preferring to stay on the other side though he had a very self-assured smirk on his face that already made the Predacon's energon boil. Starscream's red optics landed on the human who seemed frozen in her corner as she stared at the other robots unknowing of what to do.

"Ah, I knew the beast was too stupid to even kill a weak little fleshling." Starscream gloated to the vehicons beside him. The Predacon growled, his frame shaking with anger at the insult, and Screamer's optics glanced towards the Predacon. "Unfortunately for the beast's little pet however, the Lord Megatron has grown tired of waiting, and believes it is time to clean out the pest."

Miya gasped, seeming to understand what this meant, and suddenly began running across the cell. Starscream only smirked before he turned to his vehicon soldiers all standing in formation.

"Vehicons: exterminate." Starscream ordered with a pointed sharp servo.

The Vehicons pointed their blasters towards the human, but before they could fire, Miya dived the last of the distance, and slid right behind the Predacon's foreleg. Everyone was surprised by the girl's actions, but none more so then the Predacon himself as he stared down with widened optics at how the child huddled in the shadows of his body, pushing herself close to him as she tried to duck out of sight. Her warm touch was once more pleasant, but the way she pressed her body against his metal plates made him able to feel how her body trembled with obvious terror. He rumbled to her, tilting his head in curiosity, and Miya looked up at the Predacon, shaking as she looked up at him with a silent and pleading expression.

"Please…" She whispered.

At seeing the way she came to him and trembled behind him, at her voice and the begging look in her eyes, a reaction seemed to occur within the Predacon's spark. He felt it burn and zap out in electrical currents as something fierce and powerful swelled through him. Miya was in need of protection, and she needed him. For some reason that brought a wave of strength into the Predacon, clearing his processor of any muddling thoughts as this heat swept through his frame as he turned his attention back towards the intruders.

"Well?!" Starscream snapped at his troops. "What are you waiting for? Get in there!" He shouted as he kicked one vehicon into the holding cell.

Looking to each other nervously, the vehicons hastily followed their comrade as they all came into the cell and tried to flank the Predacon to reach the one hiding behind him. But the Predacon snarled, flaring his mandibles as he stamped a leg in front of Miya and hid her from sight. He gave the vehicons one warning hiss as he climbed to his feet, keeping the girl underneath him and between his massive legs, lowering his front half so that she would be harder to hit.

The vehicons seemed nervous but did not disobey orders. That was their final mistake. They would not have Miya, he knew this as assuredly as he felt that burning strength growing out of his spark. She was the Predacon's, and he would not allow anyone to take her from him.

He lunged at the nearest vehicon, so fast that the soldier didn't even have time to try and evade before the jaws clamped around its blaster and lifted it into the air. The Predacon threw the vehicon at the other troops, smashing down three and making them bounce across the cell with enough force to leave dents in the floor. The other vehicons had all leapt away from him by now, and were trying to blast at Miya who was huddled beneath him. The Predacon quickly lowered his wings to cover his sides, growling at the vehicons in rage.

Lashing out with his tail, he caught one with almost plate-crushing force across the middle, sending it flying backwards and out of the door where it hit the hallway-wall beside Starscream- who shrieked with fright. It was then that the Predacon realised that he was being shot at, as the blasts from the vehicon in question did nothing to faze him. But it was still enough to make him angry – more so then he already was.

Twisting in place, he swiped at the vehicon with his claws on his forelegs, scratching metal and sending the vehicon through the air. All the vehicons looked up fearfully at the Predacon who stood looming over them, mandibles flared and jaws parted in a terrifying sight. The vehicons seemed unknowing of what to do, uncertain as they seemed to be caught between the idea of fleeing or obeying orders. The Predacon gave them the final push. From his generator, he summoned forth the light that travelled up his throat into the back of his mouth, letting it linger there and ready to be released at a moment's notice. He opened his mouth to roar at them, letting them see the light that made his mouth glow as if already on fire.

The vehicons needed no more prompting, and quickly fled out of the cell, Starscream behind them as he quickly shut the cell doors. The Predacon snorted, allowing the fire to die inside of him, before he shifted away from his spot and turned in order to look at his human.

The girl was still huddled on the floor, her arms covering her head as if she didn't realise that the battle was over. The Predacon rumbled softly to try and coax her into awareness, but when she didn't respond, he nudged her with his snout. Miya gasped as she snapped her gaze up to him, eyes filled with fear. But she blinked, as if awakening from sleep as she looked around the cell, shocked to see that the intruders had left.

She then looked back at the Predacon, who rumbled softly to her again. Hesitantly, not taking her green eyes off of his yellow optics, she reached out her hand towards him. The Predacon looked at her hand for a moment, before meeting her halfway as he pushed his head into her warm touch. He rumbled at the feel of her skin, once more a shock at how enjoyable the sensation was.

"Th-Thank you…" He heard the girl whisper. The Predacon looked back at Miya in surprise, not sure why she would be thanking him. Miya herself seemed a little confused, as if she didn't know why she had said the words either. But then she looked into his optics, as if deciding something after a long moment.

She gave him the tiniest of smiles, just a mere twitching of her lips. Reaching around with her hands, she gently touched that sweet spot at the crook of his jaw. The Predacon purred once again as he leaned into her hands.


	6. Predacon's Invalid

Predacon's Invalid

* * *

Later that evening, however, it soon became clear that something was wrong with Miya.

She'd shakily stumbled to her corner and simply laid down, and she hadn't gotten back up. She lay moaning quietly as she curled into a ball, her arms cradling her stomach and the most awful hoarse coughs escaped her throat. Her eyes kept rolling whenever she had them opened, her lips were cracked and dry, and the way her body tensed yet seemed too weak to even move indicated that she was in pain. The Predacon had nudged her several times, rumbling and growling as he tried to bring her back around, but the human child didn't even seem to acknowledge that he even existed. She was losing her ability to function and remain operational, and the Predacon was stumped as to the reason why.

At first, he wondered if she had indeed been injured during the fight, and had quickly scanned her for any sign of a wound. But she had no new injuries, only the bruising from the first two nights, which seemed to not be healing even slightly. But what his scanners did pick up, was the fact that the human's hydration and energy levels were at a critically low point. And that was when the Predacon realised that she was in need of sustenance.

Knowing that he had no organic food to give her, he immediately went to the tossed aside empty cubes from where he had been fed his energon rations over the past two days. Looking them over, he managed to scrape together a drop or two of the liquid-form energy mineral and then onto a slab of torn metal. Gingerly picking up the slab of metal holding the energon between his teeth, he carefully carried it back across the cell and placed it next to Miya. When in comparison with her size, the plate of metal was almost a third the size of her, and the amount of energon sitting on top was more than enough to fill her.

But the girl didn't respond, she didn't even seem to know that he had placed the nourishment there for her. The Predacon snorted at her, ruffling her hair with the air from his vents as he tried to coax a reaction out of the girl. He nudged the metal plate closer and rumbled loudly in an attempt to get her attention. Miya opened her eyes briefly, glancing at the energon he offered, before she sighed and closed her eyes once more.

The Predacon growled in frustration, but was not ready to give up. Once again picking up the slab of metal in his teeth, he held it above the human's head, and with no other choice, he tipped it and dumped the energon onto her head. Miya groaned as she weakly wiped the energon off of her face, and with the last of her remaining energy, gagged and spat out what had actually managed to go into her mouth. She whimpered as she lay back on the ground, the worst of the energon removed from her skin, but still it was smeared across her skin and globs of it remained in her hair. But the girl ignored it in favour of lying there.

With his last attempt a failure, the Predacon snarled to himself as he stamped a foot in agitation. He began to pace as the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. He didn't know what to do, and it frustrated him to no end. He knew that humans and other native lifeforms of this world needed organic substances in order to keep them functioning, and couldn't last very long without it. The Predacon thought back through the days since he had captured Miya, realising that she had not had even a morsel for herself in the entire time that she had been here.

But he had no way of giving her organic food, as he severely doubted that a ship full of cybertronians would house anything Miya could consume, not that they would give it to her anyway. So what was he to do?

As the night continued to drag on, the Predacon became even more distressed with his situation as he watched Miya grow ever weaker as she slipped into an even worse condition. She was now weakly dry heaving as her body was completely empty of what it needed, and she kept slipping into unconsciousness. The Predacon's scanners indicated that her heartbeat was becoming strained, and if she didn't receive at least water soon, then she wouldn't live to see the next nightfall. At seeing his human so weak and in need of his help once more, he felt that raging electricity inside of his spark once more, beating out a strength into his frame. But this time it also came with a crippling sensation of _hurt_. It only made the Predacon pace even more as he growled in distress, for he had never felt such an emotion before and it was very unnerving.

Finally, he narrowed his optics as he rationalised that if he could not find nourishment for his human in the fortress, then he would need to bring her what she craved. But he also knew that he couldn't leave her unattended for too long, as Starscream wouldn't hesitate to take the opportunity of his absence in order to kill the girl. And Miya was so weak she wouldn't be able to help herself should she find herself in such a situation. So, if that was the case then the Predacon knew that he would then need to bring her to the food.

The consequences of such actions didn't even register in the Predacon's processor. All he knew was that Miya was his captive, and therefore his possession. They had created a kinship between them and that made the Predacon want to keep her alive so that he may have someone like himself. So he would do what was necessary.

With his course now set, the Predacon turned to the sealed door, and began to make a racket. He leaned onto his back legs, using his forelegs to strike against the door with his claws in quick and noisy succession, leaving deep gouges in the metal. He thrashed his tail on the floor and bellowed as loudly as he could. He could hear his calls echo throughout the fortress, and knew that all of the noise would attract the attention of _someone_. He even shoved his side into the door, denting it slightly as he attempted to make even more noise. The cell shook with the force of the sounds he made, and it was even enough to arouse Miya for a few brief moments.

After only a few minutes, the Predacon's audio receptors picked up hurried footsteps. Mandibles clicking against his teeth, the Predacon quickly spun on his heel and quickly picked up Miya and holding her firmly in his claws, though careful not to cause her any more pain. Miya was so weak at this point that she didn't even stir, and that only worried the Predacon all the more.

A vehicon had scrambled to the cell in order to see what was wrong, probably because it didn't want the wrath of its master if the Predacon had something wrong with it. But as the vehicon opened the cell door, the Predacon literally burst out of the cell flinging the vehicon in a random direction as he charged past it, before racing down the hall and towards the western exit of the fortress.

Reaching the ledge, the Predacon unfurled his massive flame-orange wings and flung himself into the air. He felt gravity try to pull him down but with one mighty thrust of his wings he had defied it and soared upwards into the night sky. He quickly flew away from Darkmount, not caring if he was seen or if he was followed. From the information about the local geography that his creator had uploaded onto his processor, the Predacon quickly set several destinations for where he would take Miya. But he knew that his first stop would be at the river.

He flew through the air, having learned from when he had first captured Miya to keep himself low so that she could still breathe and not be too cold. But he still hurried as he soared towards his destination, leaving the forsaken lands surrounding Darkmount, and into the lush wilderness.

After perhaps several minutes of fast flight, he saw the river in the distance and quickly swung his body towards where it branched off into a lake not far off. As he flew over it, his optics spotted several signs surrounding the lake that it was protected by human law as some little form of nature reserve. He scanned the lake, and deducted that the water had a good lack of pollution that made it safe for his human to drink – or at least he hoped so.

Landing on the bank of the lake, the Predacon quickly placed his human down so that she was so close to the waters that as they lapped against the shore, it splashed into her face. The wetness seemed to arouse the human a little as she blinked herself awake before she looked over as if in confusion at how she managed to get to a lake. But then, it was as if she had been taken over by primal instinct, as she shakily and weakly all but lunged into the waves and dunked her top half into the water. The Predacon could hear loud gulping noises as Miya drank, even submerging her head completely at one point before she resurfaced with a snort and spluttering cough. Worried that she might drown herself, the Predacon hooked his mandibles around one of her legs as he dragged her backwards away from the water. The human seemed conscious now, but still her senses seemed not quite there, as she took a moment to simply breathe with her eyes drooping and her jaw hanging open. Once she had recovered somewhat, she then went back to the lake, surprising the Predacon when she seemed able to hold her own weight as she crawled back to the water.

They stayed there for the next forty minutes, Miya drinking until she needed a break in order to regain her breathing, before going back to drink again. The Predacon waited through it all, a little bored, but still watching the human attentively should she be in any form of danger. But at last she seemed to have had her fill, as she sat in the mud, sagging slightly as she seemed exhausted from just that, but still seemed to have gained even a little strength as she sat up on her own. The Predacon then picked her back up before he leapt into the air once again, knowing that he now needed to go to his second destination.

Calling up the information from his processor again, he followed it as he flew for another half hour towards the north. And soon he came across what he was looking for: an orchard. The data in his processor indicated that humans were omnivores, meaning that they ate both other living life forms as well as plant life. Thinking that it might do his human good to get everything she may require, he quickly landed in the orchard, keeping an optic and audio receptor alert for any sign that other humans were nearby. The last thing he wanted was annoying humans interfering.

Placing Miya on the ground, the Predacon nonchalantly knocked over a tree filled with round red and green fruits. The tree hardly had any resistance against him, it was as easy as Miya snapping a twig. The tree fell in front of Miya, who was consciousness enough to be startled a little by the large tree landing just a few feet away from her. She blinked at the tree, before hesitantly reaching out and plucking one of the fruits from the branches. She turned it over in her hands, giving it a slight squeeze as she inspected it.

The Predacon thought this behaviour rather odd. Didn't humans farm this fruit for eating? Why was she being so cautious? He narrowed his optics when she carefully took a bite, but after that first bite she quickly then began to gorge into the fruit, attacking it with her teeth as she hastily swallowed every piece she could. Juice ran down her chin, and the Predacon thought this a rather disgusting display, but Miya paid it no mind as she quickly finished the fruit before throwing away the skeletal middle and reaching for the next one.

She ate four of the fruits in total, when finally she sat back, sighing, once more seeming to have perked up a little bit. She looked up at the Predacon who was lounging on his haunches and had narrowed his optics at her drying yet food-covered face. The girl seemed to realise this as she quickly wiped her chin on her sleeve with a tiny sheepish smile on her face.

For some reason, seeing that smile made the Predacon's spark rest a little easier to know that she was slowly recovering. He didn't understand why he should feel so relieved, but he did. Miya would make a full recovery, and he would not be alone with her alive. He would remember to keep her full on sustenance in the future.

But they still had one more stop, and it wasn't far from their current position. The Predacon lifted the girl in his claws, and she seemed to be aware enough to hold onto him with what little strength she had, as he lifted them into the air. They flew for ten minutes away from the orchard and towards where the Predacon could detect many life-form signatures in a field close by. He flew over a field containing what his processor called _Sus domesticus,_ also known as swine by the natives of the planet. As he passed over them, the swine screeched in fright and attempted to flee, alerting the rest of them into a stampede, though with one swipe of his tail, the blade at the end of it easily sliced right through one of the fleeing animals.

Landing by his kill, the Predacon placed Miya down onto the slightly muddy ground as he used a claw to pull one half of the severed pig towards the girl. But he became confused when Miya looked extremely pale and looked as if she was ready to purge her stomach of everything she had just consumed. Not wanting his efforts to go to waste, the Predacon rumbled loudly at her to get her attention. Miya looked up at him, and seeing the confusion in his narrowed optics, she shuffled on her feet as she indicated towards the carcass, though she still seemed disgusted as her nose crinkled at even the smell.

"I can't eat that…" She moaned as she turned her head away, breathing deeply through her mouth as she tried to control her impulse to gag. The Predacon blinked in confusion. Was his data incorrect? Did humans not eat meat? Miya spoke again, bringing his attention back to her. "It… it needs to be cooked. I can't eat it raw."

That explained it, and the Predacon felt his processor become clear at the conclusion, though he wondered if humans had made themselves evolve so that they could no longer survive in the wild. It wouldn't surprise him. But if she thought that he was going to do every little thing for her, then she was clearly mistaken. He had more pride then that. Humans couldn't have always eaten cooked meat in their species life span on this planet, so surely some instinct in her would let her eat the meat raw.

He impatiently snorted at her, indicating with his head towards the carcass. The girl dared to narrow her eyes at him defiantly, and the Predacon narrowed his own optics in warning.

"No." She said simply. "I'm not eating it like that."

He growled at her, lifting a manidble to reveal his hangs so that she could see that he was not playing with her on this.

"No!" She said a little more forcefully, but her defiance was undermined by the fact that her body was beginning to tremble, cold in the night air as well as already growing exhausted.

It didn't escape the Predacon's notice, however. He saw that despite the fact that his human wanted to appear to have strength whilst she had only a little, she was still very weak. He knew that simply water and fruit would not last her long, and she needed to eat this in order to add to her fuel intake. He knew exactly how to solve the issue. But he didn't want to lower himself to become her pet. His dignity wouldn't allow it. And yet... He was determined to make his human well again, and he had already established to himself that she needed to survive, or he would be alone once more. Although he was quickly growing annoyed with having to do every little thing for her, he knew it was worth it if the girl survived. So he begrudgingly summoned flames from his generator, and parted his jaws as he unleashed the bright fire that engulfed the carcass. Miya squealed in surprise as she quickly backed away from the heat and light. But the Predacon only allowed the flames to roast for a second before he extinguished them.

The carcass sizzled where it lay, its skin blackened in most places, but the Predacon was pleased that he hadn't reduced it to ash. Miya slowly came forward, and at the smell that wafted into the air, the Predacon heard the child's stomach growl loudly, and saw the want in her big green eyes. But she still hesitated as she looked up to him a little shyly.

"Could you… erm," She mumbled as her cheeks turned red – the Predacon wasn't aware that she could change colour, was it supposed to be a signal for something? "Could you cut it for me… please?"

The Predacon looked at the half of the carcass he had already roasted, and then deducted that the girl couldn't eat it as it was. The Predacon sighed with a loud growl as he shook his head in frustration. Could the girl not do anything for herself? But seeing as she had been polite and respectful, he didn't see reason to deny her, especially since he still wanted her to eat her fuel. The only thing holding him back was his own pride, and seeing as how he had already demolished that tonight it wouldn't matter if he did one more thing for her. But he still looked about to make sure no one was coming, before he used a claw and easily cut the half of the carcass again. Miya mumbled her thanks before walking awkwardly over to the food and digging in.

The Predacon proceeded to ignore her, more focused on watching the skies. He knew that someone at Darkmount must have noted his absence by now, and they would be looking for him. He planned to return to the fortress as soon as his business here was done, but he knew that someone should be coming to retrieve him. By his calculations, he had been gone over two hours with Miya, and was sure that someone would try to find him soon.

"Oh…" He heard Miya sigh as she stumbled towards him. Her legs were still a little shaky and weak, but she had recovered a little of her strength. She sat down on the only part of the field around them that wasn't covered in mud, the child seeming to be exhausted from just eating. She ran a hand through her tangled auburn hair, sighing again. "It's been a while since I've had roast pork…"

He ignored her words, instead bringing his massive head low so that he might read her bio-signature. She now seemed to be recovering, as her hydration and fuel levels were at a good percentage and her heart rate was once more strong and sure. As he came close, Miya looked at him, seemingly unsure of how to proceed. But she set her jaw determinedly, as if she had stubbornly decided upon something that she would unwaveringly carry through. And to her credit, she did.

"You helped me," She said, her green eyes staring straight into his yellow optics unflinchingly, astonishing the Predacon once more with her bravery. But the way she gave him eye contact, it seemed more out of respect rather then as a challenge. "You didn't have to, but you did. And all I can say is… thank you."

Her words were sincere, truthful, and held great meaning. The Predacon sensed that the child didn't thank others often, she liked to be independent. But he had helped her when the situation was beyond her control, and she knew the significance of what he had done. For some reason her words caused his spark to give him that fiery strength. He instantly forgot all of his annoyance at her uselessness in a survival situation, he was just content that she now seemed to be herself. Miya gave him that tiny secret smile, and the Predacon once more felt his spark become just a little warmer in relief. His human would be alright, he would not be so alone with her near.

And once again as eyes met optics, the Predacon once more felt that little trust between them grow just a fraction.

They left the pig field not long after that, and the Predacon slowly made his way back towards Darkmount. Considering the fact that he had been kept locked away without the space to stretch his wings, and now that his urgency had passed, he wanted to enjoy the freedom whilst he had it. There was an instinct inside of him that wanted him to stubbornly refuse to be locked away, but he decided against it. Megatron wanted him in the cell. Whilst he was loath to go back to confinement, he knew that those higher in the pecking order wanted it to be so. The Predacon sensed that Megatron was the alpha of the group inside the fortress, and whilst the Predacon didn't exactly know his place in the hierarchy, he knew that Megatron still gave the orders. In this instance, only Megatron was above the Predacon, as the robot-dragon refused to submit to any other.

As he was lost in these thoughts, the Predacon didn't realise that he was not alone in the sky when Miya gave a small gasp. The Predacon turned his optics to see a flying machine on his starboard side. It was triangular and its wings didn't flap to keep it aloft, instead a trail of smoke was left behind it, and the thing caused a hell of a racket as it flew. A quick read of its bio-signature confirmed for the Predacon that this was a cybertronian alt-mode, and not just any, but Starscream's. The Predacon snarled, when he noticed that he had four other little flying machines surrounding him on both sides and behind him. The Predacon gave a shriek in outrage.

"Time to go back to your kennel, Beast." Starscream ordered as his voice echoed out from his alt-mode.

Didn't the fool realise that was what he was already doing?! The Predacon would go back in his own time, and not before. He snapped his jaws threateningly at Starscream to make the point clear. Starscream shrieked as he swerved away to avoid the bite, and made a point to fly out of the Predacon's reach.

"You two at the back!" Starscream snapped, sounding a little flustered. "See if you can push it along!"

The two flying machines at the Predacon's rear began to pick up their pace, almost coming right up the Predacon's aft. The Predacon growled in warning, and responded with a swipe of his tail. The two flying machines only just managed to dodge in time, and after that they hung back, daring not to come any closer.

"By the All Spark, how difficult is it to herd a simple-minded brute?!" Starscream snarled at his soldiers. "I don't care how you get it going – shoot it's pet if you have to! Perhaps then the beast will fly swifter if it's not carrying a heavy load."

The Predacon felt white-hot anger flush his system, causing his generator to push flame into the back of his throat which he barely held back. He snarled viciously, and clutched Miya possessively to his chest, keeping her protected next to his body. He hadn't gone through all this trouble just to lose her now. Growling with barely restrained anger, the Predacon flew faster and further away from Starscream, wanting to have a clear head. The Seeker and his soldiers followed but at a safe distance. The Predacon silently willed that Miya would stay still and quiet so that she wouldn't draw more attention to herself. Surprisingly, she seemed to know what he silently ordered her, and didn't make a peep as they approached Darkmount.

They arrived on the ledge leading to the west-wing entrance, and as the Predacon landed and adjusted his stance to compensate for holding Miya in one claw, Starscream and his soldiers landed soon after. The Predacon growled at the Seeker, clearly wanting the second in command out of his space immediately. Starscream sneered hatefully, but still backed up.

"I see you managed to make the Beast heel, Screamer," The red and white mech who had obviously been shined and painted to perfection called out as he stood leaning against the wall near the door with a smirk on his face.

"The creature breaks free and we have to call it back – already it is becoming a nuisance!" Starscream snarled. "I want you to tell Shockwave that I want his _pet_ to have a comm piece installed into it, so at least _he_ can call it back the next time it gets loose! Seeing as the Beast seems to listen to _him_."

"I'm sure he will not argue with your _logic_." The red mech – the Predacon was trying to remember if his name had been mentioned in his presence before – smirked in amusement.

"I don't see why the abomination has such a fixation on the human." Starscream growled as he turned to look at the Predacon who was folding his wings and calmly walking towards them in order to go back into the fortress, Miya looking pale and miserable as she stared at the entrance to her prison. "It's a pitiful and disgusting creature."

As the Predacon passed them, he hissed with a snap of his jaws at their heads, causing them both to flinch and cry out as they jumped back out of his way. The Predacon snorted at them before melting into the shadows of the inside of the fortress. Even as he continued walking to his cell, his audio receptors still managed to pick up the red mech's response:

"Don't get your engines in a twist, Screamer," The red mech grumbled. "The human is the Predacon's toy, nothing more. As soon as it gets bored of her it'll kill her. And if she becomes too much trouble in the meantime, then Lord Megatron will kill her. It's a win-win situation."

But the Predacon didn't agree with this analysis. He didn't want his human dead just yet. And it seemed that only now did it dawn on the beast exactly how many enemies Miya had amongst the Decepticons. They hated her kind, and would want her eradicated. The Predacon himself didn't have a love for humans, and was indifferent to their survival or annihilation. He just wanted this one human to survive right now. Even the Lord Megatron, who should have been so high above her that he shouldn't even have been bothered with her, would stoop to squash her if they passed in the corridors.

The Predacon then vowed to himself that he would have to guard Miya more vigilantly from now on.

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 **Author's Note: A shout out to a guest reviewer who foresaw what I had planned for this chapter ;) You are psychic!**

 **I know that Miya's condition seems a little too fast and little too quickly resolved in this chapter, but I wanted it to cement their growing trust with each other. Plus, I have a lot more important events coming up, so this needed to be resolved before we get into more meatier chunks. lol**

 **But please review! I welcome all comments!**


	7. Predacon's Possession

**Author's Note: I apologise for the lateness, and for the fact that this chapter is short. But I promise to be back with another chapter VERY soon!**

 **Please don't forget to review!**

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Predacon's Possession:

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By the next solar cycle, Miya was back to her usual self. The Predacon thought that he would have to calculate when he would next need to bring her to organic fuel substances. She had lasted three days before rapidly deteriorating, so perhaps he would need to get her food every other day? It would at least break up the boredom of existing in this cell for who knew how long.

It was after the Predacon had been given his energon ration for the day at midmorning, that the Beast had an unexpected visitor. When the doors opened, Miya tensed, visibly ready to bolt the second it proved to be another threat. But the Predacon did not sense it to be Starscream. Instead it was his creator who was revealed. Shockwave stood as ever calm and collected as he focused his one red optic onto the Predacon. With that continued sense of composure, Shockwave entered the cell and came straight towards the Predacon.

"Starscream requested a comm. piece to be installed. A most logical solution." The Predacon's creator said in his monotonous and emotionless voice.

The Predacon vaguely remembered the Seeker saying something along those lines yesterday, but hadn't paid it much attention. He trusted his creator enough to not hurt him, and so lowered his huge head so that Shockwave could better reach. The purple mech placed the piece of tech underneath a neck-plate and connected to one of the cables that ran to the Predacon's processor. Seeing as his creator only had one hand, as the other was a huge gun, the process took a little longer then was necessary, grating on the Predacon's patience.

At one point, the Predacon glanced over at Miya. The girl seemed interested as she kept trying to look at what Shockwave was doing, but otherwise she kept to her side of the room. She seemed calm and collected, though her eyes were narrowed in suspicion and her body was ready to spring at a moment's notice. When she caught the Predacon looking, she made herself sit a little straighter, setting her jaw in determination as she made a show of pretending that nothing at all was bothering her. The Predacon snorted as he rolled his optics at her behaviour. The girl liked to be independent, yes, but surely she knew that being an ant amongst giants she would never have full control of her life again.

Finally Shockwave finished his little project, and turned away. The Predacon rolled his neck, flexing his jaws as he tried to shift the feeling of being uncomfortable. It took only a moment to incorporate the comm. piece in to his systems, and with it his discomfort left him. But only once this was done did he realise that Shockwave had not left, and instead was staring in Miya's direction. The girl didn't seem distressed, but she was very tensed as she kept an eye on the one-eyed no-faced mech, still trying to appear completely calm. The Predacon watched the two very carefully.

"What are you staring at?" Miya asked a little bravely.

"An organic that forces the Predacon to exhibit previously unknown behaviour." Shockwave spoke as if in thought. "A rather questionable turn of events. Starscream and Knockout debate that the Predacon has taken the human life-form as a pet. But that conclusion is illogical, as the Predacon does not contain the higher mental functioning skills to associate such terms of endearment."

"How do you know?" Miya's eyebrow twitched upwards in what the Predacon thought to be a somewhat defiant expression.

"I created the Predacon." Shockwave replied. Miya blinked, seemingly not prepared for such an answer.

"He's smarter then he looks." She murmured.

"A predator housing a weaker creature that cannot survive amongst robotic organisms." The one-eyed mech replied tonelessly. "Highly illogical."

But the Predacon however, did not agree with his Creator's views of what was 'logical' or 'illogical'. Miya was surviving as of right now under his guidance. She was his little thing whether he be a hunter or not, and as such he would not give up his possessions. A territorial instinct inside of him refused the idea. He guarded what was his, and he killed all who opposed that fact. And his creator's thoughts of logic were based on the fact that he thought the Predacon was a dumb beast – just like Starscream. That alone was enough to make the Predacon's energon boil at his wounded pride.

"What draws the Predacon to you, to make it act against its very programming?" Shockwave spoke. It was almost eerie as the Predacon realised that Shockwave was not really speaking to Miya, more to himself as if carrying on his train of thought. He acted as if the girl were not alive, as if she was just another caluclation that needed to be considered.

"Do I look like I know?" Miya replied a little curtly. "If I knew, I would have switched it off by now."

"Perhaps it is something physical pulling the Predacon?" The scientist theorised. "An examination or dissection should reveal ample results."

Miya's eyes widened at the words, a gasp escaping her throat as all composure left her face and she quickly backed up away from the one-eyed mech.

The Predacon let out a very loud growl.

Shockwave seemed a little surprised as he turned to face the Predacon. The beast slowly moved to his feet, yellow optics narrowing and mandibles shifting to reveal his teeth. Shockwave stared silently up at his creation. A heavy tension filled the room. The Predacon refused to stop his threatening growl until Shockwave shifted away from Miya.

The Predacon could imagine the surprise and anger in his creator, for there had been an established unspoken agreement between them that the Predacon would obey his creator without question. And the Predacon did respect his creator, for he had given him life, and cared for him with at least a little respect. But now the beast was going to remind the mech that he was a predator, and predators didn't take well to invaders. The dynamics had changed, and the Predacon would no longer allow others to desecrate his territory. This was no longer about Miya. It was about the Predacon asserting his dominance, and that his space would not be disrespected.

This was his den, and therefore his domain, and he ruled here. It may have been a small cell, but it was still his territory. Shockwave would now understand this.

They were suddenly interrupted when a colossal 'BOOM' echoed throughout the fortress, and the entire structure shook. The Predacon instantly became alert as he looked about in agitation for the threat that he couldn't see. Miya shrieked in surprise as she stumbled to the wall as she leaned against it for support. Loud alarms began to blare across the fortress, and the Predacon managed to deduce that it could mean that the entire fortress was under attack. Shockwave immediately began to walk to the cell door, pausing at the exit as he stared at the Predacon. The tension was there once more between creator and creation, like a heavy weight that waited to see who would be the first to react.

"Be ready for combat." Shockwave ordered before leaving.

There was a second explosion that made the fortress tremble, though not as violently as the first. Although the Predacon had a limited understanding of what was happening, he seemed to instinctively know the sounds of battle and made the assumption that his territory was being threatened by an outside force. He hissed as he gazed around, knowing that the threat wasn't here in his den, but close by none the less.

The beast felt a moment of confusion that tore at his processor. On one servo he felt the instinct to stay put and defend his den and possession and destroy all who thought to enter until the danger had passed. On the other servo, he felt the instinct to annihilate any threat that dared to come close to his territory, and the song of battle made his energon sing with vitality and ferocity. And his creator had warned him to prepare for battle, meaning that he would want to send him out to face this enemy. The Predacon would never back down from a fight. It wasn't in his programming to withdraw or surrender, he would be offlined before that happened! He would meet this enemy and he would destroy it.

But that meant that he would need to leave Miya. She would be vulnerable to attack with him gone, and the predicament made the Predacon growl in frustration. Like any beast, he didn't take well to confusion, and preferred his processor clear and focused.

So what to do when the enemy could take his possession away from him?

The answer came to him: hide it.

Turning around to face the girl, he didn't pause or be slow to give her any time to adjust to what he was doing. He merely snatched her up, clamping his teeth on the loose cloth that adorned her and lifted her into the air.

"What're you doing?!" The girl shrieked in fear as she was suspended a great height off of the floor. "Put me down!"

Ignoring her cries and pitiful struggles, the Predacon quickly marched out of the cell through the door that was still open. He quickly stormed through the fortress and out of the western entrance as he galloped towards the War-Ship, the Nemesis, that sat docked and attached to the ledge. The Predacon knew that if Darkmount was under attack, the enemy wouldn't think to look here. And neither would Starscream or the others.

The halls of the Nemesis were too small to allow the Predacon entrance without tearing them apart. There was only one door that lead to the lower deck that was only just big enough as it led to large chambers. Deciding not to go down in case he got stuck in the tight spaces, the Predacon merely opened the door and found a small air-duct right inside. Peering in with his optic he found that the vent was long enough that the back of it was out of any cybertronian-arm reach, but it didn't fork off or even lead anywhere, it was just a small duct, so Miya would not be able to escape anywhere.

Using a careful claw, the Predacon scratched at the edge of the grate until it came loose and swung down. With the vent now open, the Predacon wasted no time, and quickly stuffed Miya into the vent, pushing her in with his snout as far as his massive head allowed, and then shoving her in further as he reached in a mandible. The girl grunted and yelped at his forceful pushes, but he had no time to dwell on her discomfort, and so ignored her. Once she was inside, he set the grate back in place, before smashing it with his foreleg. Much like how he had done with the other grate in his holding cell, he bent and mutilated the metal until it was wedged in place and couldn't be opened unless through a large show of force.

Ducking his head down once more so that his optic could peer through the grating inside, he saw the frightened girl huddling close to the back. He quickly scanned the child's bio-signature, deeming her to be unharmed and only really distressed and frightened, he snorted at her firmly, before he turned around and left.

" _Predacon_." Came a voice seemingly just beside the Predacon's ear. The beast screeched in surprise and shook his head, looking about for the voice. It took him a moment to recognise the voice as his creator's, and then to remember that he had been fitted with a comm. piece. _"Destroy the autobots."_

So, that was who had dared to attack his territory? The Autobots, the prey that had slipped through his fingers previously, were now here? Oh, this opportunity was too great to resist! This was the Predacon's chance to correct his mistake, and to vanquish his prey.

He saw from his vantage point from a godly height in the sky that the vehicons were quitting the field of battle and returning to the fortress. They were leaving the prey completely free for him. He unleashed a deafening call, a challenge to the enemy for battle. Strolling up to the edge of the ledge, he hooked his claws onto the side leaning over it as he flared his mandibles and roared like something straight out of the Pit itself!

There were two prey that he could see from here, and they were also the ones that he had dealt with previously, minus their human pet. How perfect. Unleashing his wings, the Predacon leapt into the air, screeching as he dived down with impressive speed straight towards his targets, who were already preparing themselves to face him.

They shot at him, but either their shots missed or he simply shrugged them off, so unaffected was he by their attempts to keep him at bay. He increased his speed as he came nearer to the targets, already warming his generator to unleash a blast of fire that would –

There was a sudden explosion against his chest from a _very_ heavy blast. The Predacon shrieked in surprise as the blast knocked him out of his flight path, and he realised that that shot couldn't have come from a normal blaster.

Quickly correcting his flight, he hovered in the air as he looked around with an infuriated hiss. And then he saw the small ship swoop through the air, the one he remembered as being the reason for his failure during his last mission. Anger filled him, his bottom jaw parted as he screamed his death-challenge to the air ship before racing after it.

The ship was putting everything it had into its engines in order to out-fly him, but it was no use, for with each thrust of his wings, the Predacon came rocketing ever closer to his target. He would not let the enemy escape. Shrieking again as he warmed his generator, a current of warmth raced up his throat and into the back of his mouth, before he blasted his metal-melting flame at the ship. The ship managed to swerve out of the way just in time, but still didn't get any further away as the Predacon came ever closer, close enough that he could –

Suddenly, the ship abruptly pulled straight up, as a green vortex appeared in mid-air. The Predacon recognised the vortex as a _ground-bridge_ , or so his creator and Megatron had called it. They were portals that took one from one location and into another. The Predacon tried to avoid the vortex, flaring his wings and trying to pump them furiously away, but he was going too fast, and shot straight through.

As he came out of the other side, he was immediately beset by buffeting winds that smashed against him and pulled him out of the air. His drives suddenly blared alarms at the sudden change in global position as well as the astounding cold temperatures that surrounded him. But the Predacon had no time to think about these things as he fell onto hard and unforgiving terrain, smashing and sliding as he was met by even more cold.

Climbing to his feet, the Predacon instantly became aware that he was in the middle of a ferocious blizzard that reduced even his visibility to only what was immediately in front of him. He was suddenly in a world of darkness and cold as his scans became immediately aware of the freezing temperature. He looked about with blazing eyes, but could not see the green portal that might be able to return him back to his previous location. The autobots had tricked him and sealed the door behind him.

He seethed.

As if matters couldn't get any worse, alarms started to suddenly blare across his entire system as the Predacon became aware that the cold was now becoming _too_ cold. Unprepared for such astronomically icy temperatures, as well as the fact that the blizzard that surrounded him was making it even colder by the second, the Predacon's systems, fluids and even his own energon was beginning to freeze inside of him.

He shrieked in panic, moving about as he tried to fight the ice that was quickly coating his body and locking his joints in place. In a desperate attempt to not be frozen solid, he tried to make his generator burn furiously, hoping that the warmth would banish the ice. But the generator was already affected, and the flames were only just hot enough to expel the ice from his spark, as the rest of him quickly began to grow stiff. One claw was in the air, his tail stopped mid-lash, his wings flared, his mandibles parted in mid-roar. He became utterly still as the blizzard howled around him and the cold set in to claim him.

But he would not break. He refused to surrender. He kept his generator burning moderately, knowing that that was the only thing that was keeping the cold from claiming his spark and processor and making him go offline.

His thoughts were becoming strung out… he couldn't think straight… it was becoming difficult to function… stasis was coming...

And he froze in the middle of the Antarctic.


	8. Predacon's Ward

**Author's Note: Hello readers! As promised, a longer chapter for you all - and I must say that I love all the reviews and comments I'm getting from everyone. I do read them all and I would love to hear more of what you think. Please feel free to tell me anything and everything, I appreciate all comments that can help me make this story more enjoyable for you readers.**

 **A very strange song inspired me for this chapter, and its counterpart for the next one. For this chapter, if you look up: KT Tunstall "Strange Sight Reprise" for the end of the chapter, I think it kind of fits the moment.**

 **Enjoy and please review!**

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Predacon's Ward:

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He didn't know how much time passed before the blizzard finally passed over and the sun peeked over the horizon and set the white world ablaze. Even that slight shift in temperature, even by just half a degree, was enough to set the wheels in motion.

His systems began to slowly come online as the fragile little piece of warmth that had been protecting his spark from the cold continued to burn ever so slightly, and the ice around him began to shift with the changing temperature. Somewhere off, his audio-receptors picked up the sound of ice cracking from a glacier, and he knew with the limited systems that were functioning, that it was time for him to act.

It took him a moment to reboot his drives and to get his generator – the only thing that had not been frozen solid along with his spark – working again. But when he did, he made it suddenly roar to life as it burned with a furious intensity. He let the fire race through his systems, warming his core as his optics blazed. He could feel the ice that coated his body and kept him imprisoned in this position, and he increased the heat as he began to feel it start to crack.

Using his supreme strength, he began to try and force himself to move, though the ice was still strong enough to resist him. He heard the cracks becoming bigger, felt the weaknesses begin to lengthen throughout the structure that held him prisoner. It remained strong, and he both decided to increase the ferocity of his fire, as well as apply more pressure to his movements.

And then, all at once, the ice utterly broke and shattered, freeing him completely as he shook off the last weak shards. Slamming his claw onto the ice, he shook his head with a growl of simmering anger. The autobots had made a fool of him one too many times, and he would not be so reckless again. Rearing up onto his hind legs, he spread his wings with a mighty roar as he launched himself back into the sky.

The Predacon had returned, and he planned to never be so easily extinguished again.

He kept his generator simmering with fire in order to keep his systems warm for fear of succumbing to the bite of the cold again, as he flew onwards in a generally northward direction. He knew without a doubt that he had to return to his creator and Lord Megatron, like an instinct that told him he simply had to return no matter the cost. But also, he knew that he had to return for the sake of Miya. She was his cure to loneliness and it felt almost natural to return to where she resided.

Calculating, he estimated that it had been perhaps nine hours since he had been transported through the ground-bride. And realising that it would most likely take him several hours more to return to Darkmount, his spark suddenly became distressed as he considered Miya's fate during that time. Would she be in danger? Would she be in that sorry state he had observed due to malnourishment? The thoughts forced him to pump his wings faster as he flew steadily towards warmer climates.

No one had contacted him over his new earpiece, so they most likely assumed him offline – _the insult_. He tried to make contact through his own primitive growls and grunts, but the frequency with which he communicated in his beastly tongue was not compatible with the line of communications that the Decepticons used. So this left him with the problem of finding his way back.

But perhaps… perhaps Miya could be of some use to him after all. He remembered having thoroughly scanned her bio-signature a few times, especially just before the battle at Darkmount. Bringing up his scanners, he quickly located Miya through matching her unique bio-signature. And just like that, he had his destination.

Veering his course more north-west, he pushed himself to great speeds in an attempt to cut down any time possible. His vents were working almost as hard as his wings in order to not allow his systems to overheat, and as soon as he was in a warm enough climate, he shut off his generator and allowed the flames inside of him to cease.

As he flew, he noticed that the signal he was following was moving… and rather fast for what a human could move… Pondering this puzzle, the Predacon made the assumption that it was because Miya was inside the Nemesis, so therefore it was the Nemesis's movements he was tracking. That could only mean that the Decepticons had lost the battle at Darkmount. It seemed that no one could do anything without him.

As the solar cycle wore on he shot through the skies over many habitats and different landscapes as he made his way towards the signal he was tracking. It surprised him of the many different variations of environments this organic planet had to offer. Jungles, cliffs, deserts, mountains, oceans, forests, plains… so much variety, it was almost a little overwhelming. But he didn't dwell on it, as he pushed himself further onwards towards his target.

The solar cycle continued into the night, and the night itself wore on to the dawn of the next solar cycle by the time he was nearing on his target. Realising that it had been perhaps thirty hours since being separated from the Decepticons, the Predacon knew that his human would by now be in need of nourishment.

As he passed over one of the human roads, he saw a large loading-vehicle driving down the lonely road, with no other witness in sight. Scanning it, the Predacon saw that the truck in question was transporting bottles of water, and was full to the brim with it. Realising it for the opportunity it was, the Predacon quickly set his sights on the truck. If he could bring it back to Miya, he would not need to take her to any water source for a while, as he remembered that when the girl had been starved, she had been more in need of water than food.

Swooping low, the Predacon snatched up the trailer of the truck, one swipe of his tail severing it from the cab and the screaming driver within. With the load now held in his back claws, he quickly gained altitude again, and was out of sight before anyone saw him. He was so huge and strong that the trailer he now carried didn't even hamper his flying.

Now that he had one means of nourishment, he knew that he would need another. He quickly passed over another farm field, and decided that killing something might put him in a better mood before he had to force himself to be on the same ship as Starscream – it was too much to ask that the seeker had been killed with Darkmount's fall. So as he passed over the fields, he set his sights on a herd of cows, and blasted the back of the herd with his fire. He killed almost half of the slow and dim creatures, the rest stampeded away from him. Flying through the flames, he snatched up a roasted carcass in one of his front fore-legs and swooped off. Back claws laden with a trailer and his front claw holding the carcass, he was all set, and so made his way towards the Nemesis.

It didn't take him long to overtake the ship and find the upper-hull where there was a form of run-way or landing strip. He hovered above it, and quickly dropped his load with a resounding ' _BOOM'_. A second later he himself landed, the impact of his weight making the entire structure shake. He set his sights on the large door that held entrance to the war-ship, and knew that the other Decepticons would need to confirm that he was still operational before they would allow him to traverse the ship.

So he reared onto his hind legs and struck his claws against the massive door, the force of his blows enough to make the ship tremble at his might once more. He did this until he was confident in thinking that his message had been received, and so settled back down to wait.

He didn't have to wait long, for not several minutes later, the door opened and Megatron, Shockwave, Starscream and a host of vehicon soldiers arrived. He growled at them, walking forward a few steps as he forced himself to be still before the Lord Megatron. The Predacon was impatient to get to his human and discover her condition, and he found it annoying that these Decepticons were now in his way. But Megatron was the alpha of this faction, and so he would show his respects.

"How did it find us?!" Starscream asked a little shrilly.

"Predacons possess precise homing instincts." Shockwave offered. Well, if that was what his creator chose to believe, the Predacon would allow him that… not that he had the words to correct him either.

"And astonishing resilience…" Megatron grinned, and the Predacon felt his pride be flattered by the words, somewhat calming him. But then the Lord of the Decepticon's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the dumped trailer and carcass just behind the Predacon. "Though it seems to have brought back a few… _souvenirs._ "

"Perhaps the predacon is like what the humans call 'magpies'," Starscream suggested, trying to sound amused, though it came out more like a nervous chuckle. "It brings odd things back to adorn its nest."

The Predacon struggled with his need to growl savagely.

"Starscream." Megatron said as he turned to his Second in Command. "Assume command of my beast."

The Predacon gave a soft snort. As if he would ever follow this pathetic creature into battle!

"M-me? Master?" Starscream stuttered, though Megatron was already walking away to return to the interior of the warship. "I-I mean I wouldn't _dream_ of seizing such an honour from its very creator…?" The Seeker looked about the assembled audience for help, but no one responded.

"Military command of the Predacon is most logical." Shockwave said as he passed Starscream to follow Megatron back into the ship-interior. "Since my services are required elsewhere."

They all left him on the deck, and as the door closed, Starscream placed his servos on the metal, like a prisoner just locked within his cell. Unable to resist the chance, the Predacon came up behind Starscream, until he was looming over the seeker and drenching him in his shadow. Starscream flinched as he looked over his shoulder, frame trembling as he shook with fear.

The Predacon lifted his mandible to reveal his teeth in a cruel, beastly grin. He then slowly leaned forward, Starscream quaking all the harder the closer he came. The Predacon was still for a moment… and growled.

Starscream all but tripped over himself as he shrieked and slammed his fingers onto the control panel by the door to open it. The Seeker ran as fast as he could down the corridor and away from the Predacon. The Predacon snorted, clearing his vents in the Seeker's direction, satisfied in a very smug way at having scared the spark out of the second-in-command.

But he had other things to be getting on with, and so set about finding his human.

Going through the open door, he found the crumpled vent off to the side, and noticed immediately that the vent still remained as he had left it. There were scratches and signs that something – or some _one_ – had tried to open it, but the grate had remained firm. Hooking a claw onto it, the Predacon applied his strength to his own handiwork, and wrenched the grate out of its place with a loud screech.

He immediately heard a tiny whimper, and was set at ease knowing that Miya was alive at least. Lowering his head so that one bright optic could stare into the vent, he focused on a lump huddled in the corner. The lights of his optics didn't pierce that far back, and he only saw the glimmer of two eyes in a shivering frame. When Miya didn't seem to respond to him straight away, the Predacon huffed at her, rumbling as he tried to get her attention. Her eyes didn't seem all there, and in concern he rumbled to her softly as he tried to coax her out.

Slowly, recognition seemed to dawn in Miya's eyes, and reluctantly she began to move towards him. As she inched her way hesitantly out into the light, the Predacon noticed immediately how filthy and weak she looked as she stumbled to the edge of the vent before dropping to the floor in a heap. Her hair was a mess, her clothes dishevelled and dirty, her body looked thin and her face held evidence that she was tired. She must have obviously been hiding and fearing for her life amongst the Decepticons, and that meant she couldn't have slept at all for fear of being caught. Remembering the look of the grate, the Predacon realised that she must have endured a time or two when she thought the 'cons would get her.

The girl blinked as she looked up at him, as if her brain was taking a moment to register what her eyes were telling it. But when she recognised him, something suddenly seemed to spark with her. Her eyes and mouth became wide as she gasped, and suddenly she ran forward, almost stumbling over her own feet. The Predacon gurgled in surprise when she all but threw herself onto his foreleg, wrapping her arms as much as she could around the limb and pressed her face into the metal plates.

"You're back!" She whispered with a sound somewhere between a sob and a sigh.

The Predacon was so astonished by her show of emotion that he blinked stupidly at her for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened. It took him a second to realise that the human was acting… _relieved_. She was relieved to see him. Was she thankful that he had returned? Or happy that he had lived? Or simply reassured that she had some protection against the Decepticons who wanted her dead? He didn't quite know which.

But what was _more_ surprising, was his _own_ reaction to her relief. He didn't know why, but his spark felt light and content to see her so pleased to see him. It was a most unexpected feeling. Yet he knew without any confusion, that he too was also relieved to see Miya alive. The idea of him arriving too late and that she would be dead when he came to the Nemesis, had haunted his processor throughout his journey.

But directing his attention to the present, he slightly shook his leg so that the girl might be prompted to let him go. He then began to nudge her towards the open door, and the girl hesitated before walking by his side as he brought her out towards the flight-deck. He watched her as they slowly walked. Miya stuck to his side almost like glue as she looked about at the shadows around her fearfully, as if sensing something coming to attack at any given moment. The girl who had been so fiercely independent was suddenly too frightened to leave his side. And for some reason this worried the Predacon, it disturbed him to think that the Decepticons must have frightened her more then he realised. Being trapped in that confining space for so long with no way to escape an enemy that wanted to get to her, with him absent and unable to protect her… the distress he felt in his spark was enough to hurt. It gave him something to think about, at least.

Upon seeing what he had brought her, his human perked up a little as she rushed towards the dumped trailer and wrenched open the door with as much strength as she could muster. She picked out a bottle of water and immediately drained it into her mouth, gasping for breath half way through and at the end. After she had quenched her thirst on two bottles, she then turned to the carcass. It was shredded enough from being carried in the Predacon's razor claws that she could pull strips of meat off of the lacerations adorning it, and this time she was not squeamish around it as it was already cooked.

The Predacon ignored her whilst she ate and drank, more tending to regaining his own energy after his race back to the Nemesis. Once Miya had finished, he then began the job of carrying the carcass by slinging it over his back and then dragging the trailer down through the doors towards the lower deck. Luckily enough he could stick to wide enough corridors until he found an empty room that was big enough to house him and Miya. The girl stuck close to him the entire trip, and sat in the corner whilst he pushed her trailer against the wall and then dumped what was left of the cooked carcass beside it. With this Miya would have food to last her a few days and water to last her several weeks perhaps.

The door to their new room closed, though the Predacon noted that it didn't lock like their holding cell had done, meaning the Predacon and Miya could come and go as they pleased – a much needed improvement. Snorting in satisfaction, the Predacon then turned to his charge.

Miya was sitting in the corner, huddled with her knees tucked against her chest and her arms folded, trying to make herself as small as possible. She still seemed rather unnerved, almost fearful. The Predacon didn't know what to do. She was out of danger now, couldn't she see that? He had returned, he had kept her alive so far. Shouldn't she be at ease?

As the minutes ticked by as the girl still didn't completely calm, the Predacon realised that she would probably be in need of reassurance… of _comfort_. But that left him with a predicament as he didn't exactly know how to offer comfort of any description to anything. In his short life-cycle so far, he'd only been aggressive and rather determined, he'd not had any experience in a situation such as this. He didn't like it, it made him feel uncomfortable and he growled irritably to himself.

But knowing that he needed to do this, he slowly inched closer to Miya, bringing his head close to hers, and rumbled softly. Perhaps if he alerted her of his presence, reminded her that he was here and would guard her, then perhaps she might calm. But Miya merely looked up at him a little unsure, swallowing and making a show of trying to control her nervous twitching. But it was no use, and she still gave off an aura of fear.

Watching her, the Predacon suddenly felt his spark shift, as something moved within it, and as if from nowhere, some new information began to present itself in his processor. He had never known it before, but he suddenly understood what he had to do, like a long buried instinct that was only now surfacing.

He snatched the girl up in his teeth, and she shrieked as he let her dangle by her clothing. He warmed his generator as he summoned a small amount of flame but didn't let it leave the generator. Allowing the flames to heat up his core temperature, he then deposited his human between his forelegs as he lay down. She grunted upon impact with the floor, and seemed confused and ready to argue with him as she made to get up, but then she felt the soothing warmth of his chest-plates at her back, and became quiet and still as she all but melted involuntarily into the warmth.

The Predacon felt a little awkward at having the human and he in this sort of position, as if he were her sire trying to keep a sparkling in the nest to sleep. But he ignored it as he forced himself to lay his long neck and head down, acting as if he wasn't bothered by this whole arrangement. Miya seemed to understand what he was doing, and blushed a little as she sat herself in a more comfortable position. She leaned against his chest-plates, taking in his warmth with a grateful sigh.

"Thanks…" She murmured softly, and then reached out her hand to him. He had curled up when he'd laid down, meaning his head was close to her position, and when she reached out, her hand came in contact with his face-plates. He stiffened in surprise at the sudden contact, but then her soft and soothing touch traced down to that spot at the hinge of his jaw, the place where he liked it best. Before he could stop himself, he was already purring as he closed his optics and leaned into her touch.

"You're not going to hurt me, are you?" She said it more as a statement, but there was still the tiniest hint of a question in there. The Predacon opened his optics, and looked at her. Perhaps she finally understood his purpose in keeping her alive. Maybe this was now the time to cement whatever this mystery thing was between them.

He connected his optics with her gaze, and shook his head. Miya blinked in surprise at the very deliberate motion, before she gave another pleading look.

"You'll… erm, you'll stop those other ones? You'll make sure they don't hurt me?" She asked a little nervously, obviously not comfortable with this line of questioning.

The Predacon made sure he had her eye contact again, before nodding.

"Thank you." Miya whispered, that secret smile lighting her tired features once more as she reached out her hand to pet him in that delicious spot and the hinge of his jaw. He purred again.

He watched her as she lay down, her arm drooping to the floor and her back pressed against the warmth in his chest. The Predacon yawned, and knew that despite the fact that it was still early in the solar cycle, it was a good idea for both him and the human to get some rest. She was obviously exhausted from whatever had happened to her whilst she'd been in the vent and not slept at all, and he was in need of a good recharge after his fast-speed-and-endurance-test flight.

"What are you?" He heard Miya ask sleepily and looked to see that her eyes were drooping closed, though she fought to keep them open as her eyes tried to take in his massive face.

He wished he could answer her, but just settled for watching her with silent optics.

"A robot dragon…"She murmured with a yawn. "A killing machine if ever there was one," She snorted in amusement at her idea of a joke. "Robot-aliens, and I'm in a ship full of 'em, and each one of them keeps saying they want to kill me. But _you_ act so strange… You were created? Why? Where did you all come from? Why are you here?"

In the days that were to come, he himself would ask these questions, they would burn his processor and be the source of unrest in his spark for a long time. But for now, all he could do was stare at her silently, unable to answer.

"I'll figure it out later," Miya murmured as she bent her elbow under her head for a pillow and nuzzled her own flesh in preparation for sleep as she closed her eyes. "I'll understand you…"

The Predacon rumbled in amusement. For how could the child understand him when he himself did not?

He didn't know that he would soon be proven so wrong.

But the Predacon let his processor be wiped clean as he closed his optics, forgetting every worry and ache and thought, as he simply allowed himself to drift into peaceful recharge.


	9. Predacon's Student

**Author's Note: Just wanted to quickly say that I love all the guest reviewers - I can't reply to your reviews via PM, so I thought I'd say how much I love your words - some of them are so hilarious they actually make me laugh out loud! XD So thank you.**

 **The song that I felt went with some of the energy and feeling in this chapter is "Strange Sight" by K T Tunstall, this time the full version. I just think it really fits the relationship dynamic right now between Miya and Predaking.**

 **As always, don't forget to review!**

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Predacon's Student:

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The Predacon awoke later in the solar cycle, about mid-afternoon by human standards. After such a good recharge, he decided that it was time to do something productive for the day. He immediately stood, jarring his human awake from his sudden shift in position. She looked around blearily, blinking herself to awareness from the abrupt awakening. The Predacon thought this good, for what he had in mind would require her as a key component.

He nudged her with his claw towards the door. Miya groaned, clearly not enjoying the fact that she was awake. But the Predacon held no sympathies and nudged her again when she didn't move quick enough. When she tried to ignore him, he all but shoved her towards the door with an impatient growl.

"Whoa! Okay! Okay!" She yelped as she quickly got to her feet in order to try and avoid his claws. "Sheesh, what's up with you?"

The Predacon ignored her strange choice of words, and instead curiously pushed the command pad beside the door. His mandibles clicked on a random button, for he didn't know how to open the door and was merely trying his luck, but surprisingly the door slid open to reveal the corridor on his first attempt. The Predacon chirped to himself in triumph, before nudging Miya once more out into the hallway. She was hesitant of going into the exposed space, even with him coming out straight after her, but he nudged her further along, not in the mood to let her linger.

"Where're you off to in such a hurry?" Miya grumbled to herself. The Predacon threw her a dirty look that told her to keep up as he strolled ahead. Even with him walking at his slowest pace it was difficult for Miya to keep pace with him, just because of the massive length of his strides. "Someone's grumpy." Miya mumbled.

The Predacon ignored her as he led her to the flight deck, where he knew there would be enough space for them. Ever since her rather disturbingly frightened behaviour when he had found her, the Predacon had wanted to find a solution to the problem. He knew that sooner or later, Megatron would send him on missions, and he couldn't take Miya with him, so she would be vulnerable the entire time. And he knew that the Decepticons had abandoned instinctual programming and would not heed any territorial marks he might place on his new den.

But the Predacon had a plan. If Miya had been a sparkling, programming dictated that he would be teaching her how to survive. So he would do so now. He wanted to teach Miya how to better defend herself against a Cybertronian threat; though even he knew that a puny human child such as her would have no chance in a confrontation, he hoped to at least teach Miya how to better out-move and hide against any who wished her harm. Her size was the key – a small target was harder to hit.

When they reached the flight deck, the Predacon made sure they were alone, before he turned to Miya. She seemed very out of place on the deck, and seemed to know it as she looked about in confusion. Through his instinctive-programming, the Predacon knew that sparklings learned through play, and so that was what he would do with Miya. He lowered himself and widened his stance, swinging his tail behind him to show his readiness for the game. Miya blinked in surprise and took a little step back, widening her own stance ever so slightly, and the Predacon growled in approval.

He lunged towards her, a lazy strike as he meant to snap his teeth in her general direction. Miya screamed before ducking and huddling on the floor with her arms over her head.

The Predacon stopped his attack and looked down at Miya. If this was going to be her reaction, then this was going to take longer then he thought. Growling in frustration, he plucked her up by the hood of her jumper between his teeth and set her back on her feet. The girl seemed bewildered at what was going on, and looked up at him as if his hard-drives had crashed. The Predacon gave his familiar soothing rumble to her, making a show that everything was at ease, before he then went back to his ready position. This time he would wait until Miya caught on.

"Wait… you wanna play?" Miya asked, frowning. The Predacon huffed his agreement, and made an enthusiastic sound, trying to coax her into the game.

Miya didn't wait for him to move, instead she turned on her heel and ran. The Predacon was surprised by the sudden movement, but approved – if she could catch her attackers off guard, it would give her a few precious seconds. He chased after her, not nearly as fast as what he could be, and clearly allowing her to get ahead. When he drew too close, Miya changed direction, and he followed suit. She began twisting and turning, and the Predacon became baffled by the fact that Miya was simply trying to keep out of reach and wasn't trying to survive. Did she not realise that he was holding back and could easily snatch her up if he so desired? It was clear that she was only exhausting herself, so why do it?

He stopped the chase, growling impatiently as he snatched her up and set her back down again. He knew it would get extremely frustrating on both their parts if he had to keep stopping and starting, but if he had to, he would. Once more he got into position, and Miya seemed baffled by him, panting heavily as she braced herself to run again.

This time however, she didn't run in useless circles. Perhaps even she realised that she'd tired herself out, and so ran to the side of the deck for the nearest cover behind panels and terminals that she could easily fit behind but others could not. The Predacon approved and gave chase. Before she could dive into her hiding-hole, the Predacon slammed his claws into the ground in front of her. Miya quickly doubled back and tried to run the other way.

The Predacon shook his head and growled loudly. That had been a stupid mistake. Every attacker would expect her to run the opposite way if they blocked her path, so she should run towards them and catch them off balance and off guard. So once again he snagged her hood in his teeth and lifted her before placing her back on the ground. The girl looked up at him irritably as he gestured with his head for her to correct her mistake, but the child simply grew red-faced with her anger.

"What?" She demanded snappily. "You want me to play? You _don't_ want me to play? What?! What is it you want?!"

The Predacon growled at her, and gestured with his head again for her to move towards where he dictated.

"I don't know what you want!" She growled in frustration.

The Predacon snarled, his own anger making itself known at her impertinent tone. Couldn't she understand what he was trying to teach her? His claws clenched, scratching the metal floor of the flight deck and leaving marks in their wake. He was so frustrated. Why was it so difficult for others to comprehend him? Couldn't he even make a simple child understand? He stomped his foot and turned away from the girl as he roared with anger.

"Don't be a sore loser about it." The girl muttered as she crossed her arms.

Sore loser?! What had he lost?! Did she think she had won something over him?! Well, she was sorely mistaken! The Predacon turned on the girl with a hiss as he glared at her with enraged optics. She jumped back away from him, eyes wide at how his aggression had suddenly been placed onto her. This only irritated the Predacon more, as he thrashed his tail in clear frustration. Once again he turned away from her, snapping his jaws together as he tried to deal with his simmering anger.

For ten minutes he sat there, quietly growling to himself in anger, snarling at anything that dared to try and disturb him. His tail twitched and lashed in small movements, back and forth to show his agitation.

Miya seemed a little nervous by the aggressive behaviour, but he ignored that fact, mandibles twitching as he ground his teeth together. But despite her hesitation, the girl slowly began to approach him. When she came too close, the Predacon growled at her to respect his space. Immediately she took a big step back. He then turned his head away from her, trying to put her even out of his line of vision as he attempted to ignore her very existence. This only lasted all of twenty minutes, before he suddenly saw Miya walking around his other side so that she could find his face in order to look at him, but still maintained the distance he had declared. His mandibles twitched irritably and he shoved his face in the other direction purposefully. The fact that he had been reduced to sulking, really didn't improve his attitude.

The Predacon only noticed that Miya had moved when she placed a cautious hand on his claw, ready to jump back out of his space if he didn't want her there. But he was so shocked to feel the touch that for a moment he didn't seem to know what to do about it, and looked down at her in obvious bewilderment as to why she was doing this. The girl swallowed down her nerves before trying to give him a shrug and half a smile.

"It's okay," She murmured softly. "I sometimes get angry too. But I don't give up. Mom used to say to always try again."

The Predacon thought about that for a while. Of course Miya still didn't understand what he was truly trying to do, she thought he was trying to playing a game. Her misunderstanding continued to frustrate him. But perhaps her words could be of some use. Yes, things would get frustrating, as there was a definite language barrier, no matter how much he wished that wasn't so. But he would need to keep trying. Let it not be said that he gave up easily. And as he had discovered about himself: once he made up his mind, he wouldn't give in. Now was the time to show that.

"Come on," Miya's voice brought him back, and he saw her shrug before she put herself into a ready position. "Let's do this."

The Predacon had to snort at how the child looked as if she was ready to brawl with him. It was almost amusing. And besides, her stance was completely off centre – she looked as if one puff of air would knock her over. He shook his head at her, and pointed to her legs with his head in an over-exaggerated way. Miya looked down at her legs, and then back up at him in confusion. Knowing that he couldn't _tell_ her what was wrong, he thought he might be able to lead by example, and so turned his body so that she could more see his own back legs. He put them in a set way: slightly crouched so that he was ready to spring, set wide in order to brace for any impact, yet not dug into the ground but just loose enough to be able to turn at a moment's notice.

And then, amazingly, Miya seemed to understand, as she looked at his hind legs with narrowed eyes in concentration, before she copied him and set her legs how he had suggested. This made the Predacon happy in so many different ways. To be able to be understood, even if it was in just this small way, was greatly relieving on his frustrated spark. And so, with more enthusiasm, he went back into the game.

It was still touch and go for a lot of the time, as Miya struggled to completely understand him, but the Predacon didn't give up. And to her credit, Miya didn't either. She was very persistent and always had this curious gleam in her eyes which added to a little excitement in her movements. It was something new for the both of them. When he chased her, he would tell her where to go once with a gesture of his head, before he would chase her there and see if she would do as he had told her. At first she didn't know why he did this, but after a few times, he saw the spark of recognition in her eyes and knew that she understood.

Most of the times that he told her of hiding places where she would easily escape notice, she obeyed. But there was one time when she completely went against his orders as she abruptly changed direction half way through a sprint. The Predacon had been so focused on his task of chasing her that he had smacked his head on the walls of the deck. By the time he had quickly sprung back up and shook himself back to awareness, Miya was already squeezing into a tiny hole that was too small for even a finger of a cybertronian to get into. The Predacon had been angry at how she had done that to him, but then he couldn't fault her because she had done what he wanted: get him off guard and escape him. So he'd simply settled for hissing in a bad temper.

But after that, Miya began to find hiding places he hadn't seen and hadn't told her to go to, until she didn't need prompting at all. The Predacon felt a little pride stirring in his spark as he watched his human take in all that he had tried to teach her in his own limited and primitive way, and then put her own variation to it until she exceeded his expectations.

With the lesson learned, the Predacon didn't feel the need to keep stopping and correcting his student, and so simply allowed himself to play with her – just for fun. He couldn't remember the last time he did something just for the fun of it; in fact, he didn't think he had ever done, not since he had been awoken by his Creator. But Miya seemed to sense the change, and went along with it. He was surprised to see an excited grin on her face as she instinctively lost herself in the competitiveness of their game of cat-and-mouse. Miya ducked to try and avoid him, hiding behind whatever she could and running from cover to cover.

But then, when the Predacon had pushed his face into one of her corners, he had been most surprised when she suddenly threw herself at him out of the dark hole. He was so shocked to feel the weight collide with his face, that he reared back with a yelp, and Miya subsequently attached to his face still. She hung on to the spike sticking out of his forehead with both hands, dangling. The Predacon rolled his optics and snorted at her, causing her to shriek as her hands slipped and she let go. He caught her by her hood in his teeth, but he was surprised when she grabbed hold of his mandibles and tried to stop them from closing over his mouth.

Only then did the Predacon realise that she was trying to brawl with him. He snorted again in amusement, for could such a puny thing ever hope to best him? But he still felt himself being drawn into her fun, and so decided to indulge her. He gently pushed his mandibles close as he lowered his head, pretending to struggle with her tiny strength until he finally closed them and dropped her to the floor. Miya instantly rolled onto her back and looked up at him as he bore down at her, mimicking trying to spear her with his mandibles. She rolled from side to side to avoid the sharp points, and kicked at his chin to keep his huge face away. The Predacon had to admit that he liked her spirit, and was even amused as he continued to –

Suddenly, Miya rolled to the side and sprang back up faster than he would have given her credit for. He tried to snap his jaws after her, thinking that she was trying to run for cover again. But she changed directions again, and before he could stop her, she placed both her hands on the hinge of his jaw and began to scratch there.

The Predacon instantly became as still as stone, trying to fight his now compulsory reaction as he fought the urge to give in. But her hands were so delightful as they played over that perfect spot, scratching his plates in just the right way… And before he could stop himself, he was purring through gritted teeth, and leaning into her touch as he closed his eyes.

"I…I…win!" Miya proclaimed victoriously as she panted heavily from exertion.

The Predacon huffed irritably, but did not move away. Damn it, he was going to have to learn how to better control this impulse. If he'd have known his human could be so devious, he wouldn't have been so light with her. She was a trickster! A rat that lulled him into a false sense of security before she used those marvellous little hands to turn him into a pool of energon at her feet.

With great difficulty, he managed to pull his head out of her reach and narrowed his optics down at her.

"What…?" She asked a little breathlessly. She then suddenly sat on the floor with a huff, still trying to regain her normal breathing. Were humans always this easily exhausted? "I think I need a lie down… I'm not getting back up for a while…"

Despite the fact that the Predacon didn't want his human to exhibit such lazy behaviour, he heard how tired her body was in her voice. So he settled himself down, lying beside her with a soft rumble. Miya surprised him yet again when she voluntarily leaned against his foreleg, resting there for a while.

"You're not a good cushion…" She grunted to him. "But you're warmer then the floor…"

The Predacon merely grumbled under his breath, unable to answer her back of how he didn't want to be a cushion in the first place. He watched his human for a while as she sat and rested beside him, and allowed his thoughts to wander.

If he had more predacons, he wouldn't have to worry of not being able to communicate, for he would have brothers and sisters like himself. He wouldn't need to watch his strength to make sure he didn't hurt others unless he was around a sparkling. But Miya wasn't even like a sparkling if he squinted and tried to pretend otherwise. She was just too fleshy, too easily breakable. Once again, the Predacon found himself yearning for more of his own kind. And yet, she was giving him the attention he craved, she dispelled his loneliness in a way that made him feel whole in his spark. Miya gave him a purpose, a responsibility, and she made him think differently and made him want to learn, to evolve into something more. With her near, he felt true companionship.

She wasn't a predacon. But for now, she would do.


	10. Predacon's Companion

Predacon's Companion

* * *

The next morning, the Predacon and Miya simply went to repeat he events of the day before. They played, and tried to get a better understanding of each other. On the upper hull where no one would bother them, they were left in peace to do as they pleased. The Predacon had already cleared out what was left of the cow carcass from his den by throwing it overboard where it would undoubtedly fall onto the world below. He planned to leave the warship in order to get a fresh one later, but for now was happy to simply play with Miya. His new-found companionship with her allowed him to relax more in her presence, and he was much more patient of his own inability to communicate with others because Miya was always trying to guess what it was he meant. He could only thank the girl silently for her inability to quit.

However, their moment of peace was soon interrupted. The Predacon had had Miya pinned to the floor carefully beneath his claw, when the doors to the deck had suddenly opened. Immediately alert, the Predacon had snapped his gaze upwards, taking his claw off of Miya so that the girl could scramble up as she quickly hid behind one of his legs.

Starscream strutted onto the deck, and the Predacon did his best to repress a growl as he saw the near-constant superior sneer on the Seeker's face. The second in command didn't even seem to notice the Predacon until he came into the light, wings drooping and scowl festering on his face as the Mech took in the sight of the beast.

"Away with you, creature," Starscream waved him away dismissively, as if he expected the Predacon to simply trot away at his command. "Go back to your kennel where you can't take up the entire flight deck."

The Predacon narrowed his optics as a mandible lifted to reveal his teeth as he growled loudly. He would not be _dismissed_ like a worthless droid. And the Seeker would not presume to command _him_! The Predacon ignored the way Miya seemed a little uneasy, and purposefully sat his haunches on the deck, glaring at Starscream as he did so. Starscream's optics narrowed in anger.

"Did you not hear me, deaf brute?!" He yelled indignantly as he stormed closer. The Predacon lifted his head regally as he continued to glare at the Seeker. "I command you to leave!"

The Predacon did not move.

"You miserable beast," Starscream growled to himself as he marched around to the side of the Predacon, bringing out a small rod that he held in his servo. "I am your commanding officer, and I order you to crawl into your kennel _now_!" The seeker stamped his foot with a loud _'clunk_ ' as he pointed towards the doors leading back into the ship.

The Predacon narrowed his optics at Starscream, before turning his head away with a stubborn huff.

"I said _go, already!"_ Screamer shrieked furiously.

The Predacon suddenly felt a jolt in his elbow, a hard course of electricity that tried to burn his energon in his cabals. It was slightly painful, but the Predacon didn't flinch, and all it did was make him angry as he snapped his head back around with a snarl, fire dancing at the back of his throat.

"You shouldn't do that!" Came a sudden squeak that had both the Predacon and Starscream pausing before they looked down to the little presence they had forgotten was there. Miya stood with her hand on the Predacon's forelimb, keeping herself close, but her expression angry as she glared up at Starscream. "It's wrong to treat someone like that!"

The Predacon was astonished at the girl's nerve, though couldn't help but find her scalding tone amusing. Starscream, however, didn't find the spectacle amusing.

"Keep your nosy scent-receptor out of this, _pest_ ," Starscream curled his lip with a glare. "The creature is a mindless beast, it can only be controlled with a show of force."

As if for emphasis, he activated the rod, allowing sparks of electricity to fly off of the end in preparation. The Predacon felt anger at the Seeker, and was about to attack, when Miya's voice stopped him yet again.

"No!" She shouted furiously. "He'd not a mindless beast! He deserves more respect than this! My mom says you should always treat animals like Kings. Is this how you would treat a King?!"

At first, the Predacon didn't know how to feel at her words. He felt angry because Miya categorised him with lowly animals, as if he were the mindless creature that Starscream claimed. But then she said for him to be treated like a king… and he suddenly felt his shock take over. Starscream too looked a little taken-back by her words.

"I will not be lectured by some filthy fleshling!" Starscream yelled furiously, before swinging his sharp servo for Miya.

Before the Seeker could get within six feet of her, the Predacon moved his foreleg into Starscream's path, where his servos scrapped horridly against his metal. The sound was worse than the actual damage, and again, all it did was make the Predacon angry – if he wasn't already furious that Starscream had attempted to harm Miya. Starscream looked up in horror as the Predacon pulled his jaws apart and unleashed the fire within him. The Seeker barely hit the deck in time to avoid the flames that flew over him.

When the Predacon finally stopped the rush of deadly flames a second or so later, Starscream blinked as he slowly climbed to his feet, trembling. There was a slight hiss in the air, one that made Starscream confused until he looked up and realised that the spike on his head was smouldering. He shrieked and began to panic as he tried to smother the blackened spike, as if in fear that it would spontaneous explode. He looked at his soot-covered servos before quickly retreating back into the interior of the ship.

"I swear by the metal of Cybertron, I'll have your heads for this!" He hissed. The Predacon sent another bout of flame in his direction, and Starscream ran all the faster.

The Predacon snorted firmly as he disappeared. _Coward,_ he thought.

But when he turned back towards his human, he noticed that she seemed a little out of sorts. Her face was pinched in concentration, with one finger fiddling with a strand of her auburn hair. After a moment of thought, she looked up to see the Predacon watching her expectantly. She bit her lip and the Predacon wondered what on earth she could be thinking, before she spoke.

"If I'm gonna stick up for you, I need to know more about you." She told him, shuffling her feet slightly as if a little unsure. "That one said something about Cybertron… is that where you're from? You're aliens?"

The Predacon knew that he couldn't answer her questions, so that only made his frustration apparent from the start. But when she asked him about Cybertron, he found himself a little stuck on the answer he knew he couldn't voice. For he knew of the home-world of all mechanical life, but he had no specific memories of it. He could faintly remember being somewhere void of anything organic when he had been awoken from the tank before being brought here. Had that been Cybertron? Why did he have only that small little fragment of memory, and why did he not have more experience from his own home world?

"Okay then," Miya said at his brooding silence. "How about how old you are? Or a name?"

These questions were the ones that not only stumped him, but for some strange reason they hurt. When he thought about it, _really_ thought about it, the Predacon knew that he had only ever had this body and the thoughts of an adult. He knew that he had a creator, but for some reason it disturbed him that he had no memories of a past beyond this life, of the time when he was a sparkling, or learning to fly, or anything. He knew that he had been created, and he knew that this information he needed had been uploaded into his hard-drives, so that he knew them without experiencing them. But for some reason… that felt wrong. He wanted memories of a life, not this existence, and it became apparent that he didn't even know how old he was, let alone what his purpose was with this time.

And then came her question of a name. He didn't have a designation. The other decepticons either referred to him as 'predacon' or 'beast', even he himself thought of himself as a predacon, and not any set designation. He tried to remember if anyone had ever called him anything resembling a name, but his spark felt a little bereft to realise that there had never been a time. He was nameless, and without a history and therefore his purpose felt hollow. It felt like all he could do was follow the orders of the decepticons he had been born with because he didn't know any better, and he did not have a better purpose.

Why had no one named him? Why did he not know who he was?

His head drooped with the weight of these thoughts, and he didn't even realise he was making a soft keening sound, until he felt the gentlest touch against his metal plates. He blinked his optics as he focused, realising Miya was standing beside his head, her hands reaching to stroke his cheek softly. Her expression was one he had never seen on her before: upturned eyebrows and eyes that looked almost… guilty?

"Sorry," She murmured. "I didn't mean to make you sad. But don't worry, none of that stuff matters now,"

The Predacon blinked. None of it mattered? Of course it did! He had no name! He had no memory! He didn't know who he was! It was most distressing and of the utmost importance! He was about to huff at her scoldingly for brushing such matters aside, when she gave him that tiny smile, and slowly leaned forward until her forehead was touching the plates beneath his optic. The Predacon was stunned for a moment as the human displayed such an intimate gesture of trust and reassurance in that one motion, and his spark felt oddly touched by it. Her hand gently rubbed smooth circles along his metal skin, and he leaned into her touch with a soft rumble.

"Don't worry," She murmured softly as she turned her head in order to look up into his optic. "We'll figure it out."

She meant something else, but for the Predacon, her words meant a lot to him in a soothing way. He rumbled to her happily, before he decided to move. No matter how much he liked this little trust between them, he didn't want to be showered in pity. So he pinched his teeth onto her hood and lifted her into the air as he walked them towards the doors. Just before they could step inside, he laid himself down under the overhang so that they were out of the sun and the worst of the wind. He deposited Miya in between his forelegs before laying his head down and curling up. Nothing to take away the stress of the day then a quick re-charge nap. Miya settled herself beside his warm chest, seemingly happy to either lie there with him or take a nap as well. The Predacon didn't care which as long as she stayed put, and closed his optics.

He was almost fully asleep, when he suddenly heard a loud _'clomp_ ' as someone stopped their metal foot into the floor close by. The Predacon blinked his optics open blearily, confused at first as his processor dredged itself out of the peaceful re-charge it had been settled into. He looked up in confusion at seeing a large Mech in bright silver armour with glowing-blue bio-lights. It took the Predacon a moment to see the head of the Mech and realise that it was Starscream inside some sort of suit of armour.

"Okay…" Starscream smirked, before pointing a now huge servo into the open doors. "Now in you go!"

The Predacon reared, shrieking in outrage as he stared down at the obvious challenge before him. He subtly nudged Miya out of the way, and she hastily scrambled to the side of the room. But Starscream didn't seem at all phased by the Predacon's furious display, and his smirk grew wider.

"Do your worst." He taunted as he knocked a proud fist against his chest. "The Apex Armour is virtually –"

The Seeker didn't get another word out as the Predacon clamped his jaws onto the armour's wrist, almost engulfing the arm, and lifted him into the air. Starscream wanted to challenge the Predacon?! Well, challenge excepted! The Predacon vowed to prove to the Seeker that no amount of armour could protect him.

"ARGH! NO! RELEASE ME!" Starscream screamed like a frightened child.

The Predacon tossed him from side to side, hissing and shrieking furiously to match Starscream's cries of terror. He could feel the second in command being tossed about inside the armour as he was swung through the air, practically helpless as he dangled from the beast's jaws. With but a flick of his head, the Predacon threw the armour through the air, where Starscream shrieked before colliding with the ceiling, denting it, before he fell to the floor.

A sound was then heard, a high pitched rhythmic chirping that was extremely unexpected. The Predacon turned his head to see Miya standing at the side of the room, clutching her sides as she made more of the strange sounds. Her mouth was gaping open, her eyes squeezed shut, her teeth bared and her lips turned upwards. Alarmed by this sudden and abnormal behaviour, the Predacon thought that something was wrong with his human, before the uploaded information in his processor on humans told him that this was called _laughing:_ something humans did when they were greatly amused. Watching Miya's expression and listening to the sound, the Predacon was fascinated, until he understood that Miya found his treatment of Starscream funny. He had made her laugh. For some reason, this made the Predacon's spark feel happy, and he felt his mandibles pull wide in his own beastly-version of a grin as he realised that this was the first time he had heard Miya laugh properly. And he liked the sound. He made a memo for himself to remind him to make her laugh more often.

 _"Starscream."_ Came a voice through Starscream's comm. link, loud enough for the Predacon's audio receptors to pick up, and recognise it as Lord Megatron. _"Are you with the Beast?"_

"Y-Yes, Master!" Starscream spluttered quickly as he attempted to pick himself up off of the floor. "We've been reviewing attack manoeuvres… He's doing quite well…" The Seeker growled as he scowled at the Predacon.

 _"One of the excavation teams has failed to report in."_ Megatron said.

"I shall assemble my seeker armada immediately and –"

 _"I would prefer that you would lead our newly returned asset on this mission…"_ The grin in Megatron's voice could easily be heard. _"So that we may see if our predacon is as adept a fetching bones as it is hunting Autobots."_

The link went dead, and Starscream looked up at the Predacon with a truly aggravated scowl.

"Well?" He snapped. "You heard Lord Megatron! We leave at once!"

The Predacon was tempted to throw the Seeker in his armour over the side of the ship because of his disrespectful tone, just out of spite because he refused to take any orders from him. But he knew that he couldn't disobey a direct order from Lord Megatron. As far as hierarchy of the pack on this vessel went, Megatron was the alpha, and all obeyed him. The Predacon didn't know exactly where he fit into this chain, perhaps he was outside of this rule altogether seeing as he was an alpha predator as well. But he would still obey Megatron. In that case, he had no choice but to leave.

But he would still defy Starscream slightly. So he turned and quickly picked up Miya in his jaws before he marched his way down towards his den, careful not to jostle the girl he carried too much. Once they were back in their room, the Predacon put Miya down near the back wall. When she looked up at him in confusion he made a very clear gesture with his head for her to stay put. He turned to leave, but saw Miya's eyes widen as she quickly got up and made to follow.

"Wait? You're leaving?!" Her voice asked fearfully.

The Predacon turned back and with a growl of frustration picked her back up and placed her back where he had left her, firmly snorting in her face to tell her to stay put. He would not be swayed by any means. His human was to stay here out of danger until he returned and he would not have any negotiations on the matter. But Miya seemed to have other ideas as she desperately shook her head, her eyes wide as she pushed herself back up to her feet and almost reached her arms out to him.

"No! Please!" She begged. "Please don't go! Don't leave me here!"

His spark was moved by her fearful pleas as she desperately tried to stay with him. Under other circumstances he would have wanted nothing else but to stay with her. But he now had a duty and so gave her a gentle reassuring rumble as he pushed her back down with a mandible. Before she could say another word, he quickly then turned and left the room, hitting the control pad with his tail, causing the doors to slide shut with a loud _'bang'_ before locking.

Turning to march back up towards the flight deck, he was only stopped along the way by Starscream still in his armour, and two vehicons, obviously come down to fetch him. He cast all three of them irritable growls before marching ahead, nearly trampling them as he shoved his way past them. He was not concerned by them at this point in time. He had much bigger concerns then Starscream.

* * *

He blasted out of the rubble with a furious roar. Stupid, idiotic Autobots! Setting off an explosion like that underground in an unstable environment?! What were they thinking?! The Predacon hissed as he shook his head, quickly surveying the cavern for his enemies, but couldn't find the bodies beneath the rubble. They were either offlined or stuck beneath the fallen rocks, either way he didn't care.

The Predacon had been brought to this excavation site by Starscream and the vehicons, and the journey had not been pleasant to say the least. Then they'd arrived to find evidence that the autobots were here, and the Predacon had had no need for orders before he launched himself into the mine and chased his prey through the tunnels that had only gotten narrower as they went on. Eventually he'd cornered them in this chamber and he had fought them. Two were the prey he had attempted to hunt previously, and the third was an older and much more formal commander. He'd bested two and cornered one, when it had launched one of those little explosion-canisters at him. He'd flicked it away from his face with his tail, but the thing had then exploded and caused a cave in. The Predacon and the autobots had been buried beneath the falling rubble though naturally the Predacon had been the one to break free first. And now that he was free and the autobots were taken care of, he could look for –

A slight glimmer amongst the rocks caught his optic, and the Predacon slowly moved towards it. nudging aside the rocks, he found a rusted fossilised optic laying in the dust. Tentatively, he reached towards it –

A static of left-over code jumped from the optic and into the Predacon, making him shiver as something snapped inside his processor. It was as if a key had unlocked a door, and he suddenly knew everything. He saw predacons of different shapes and sizes overlooking a massive battlefield, their wings spread proudly, their heads raised to roar their mighty triumph to the sky. They dominated the land they stood on, an army the likes of which could never be conquered as they cast they fiery gazes onto –

And just like that, it vanished. The door closed and became locked again, and the Predacon blinked his optics as the vision faded to his memory banks. He could remember what he saw, but couldn't see any more or understand it in the slightest. Feeling confused and frustrated, he looked at the optic, touching it again, hoping for another fragment of code to make itself known. But nothing. Growling in frustration, he knew that there was nothing left for him here, and so carefully picked up the optic between his teeth before he gingerly made his way through the collapsed chamber and into the tunnels.

When he finally came into the open fresh air, he couldn't help but open his wings with a sigh of relief. It always felt better to have the room to move about freely in. He sprang into the air, his processor contemplating in frustration what had happened to him. He'd had something then, he'd known who he was, it was right there in the back of his processor, he could feel it. But now it was gone, and he was left with nothing but the puzzle of it.

He meant to go straight back to the Nemesis and ignore Starscream still on the ground inspecting the autobot ship, when something caught his optic. Even from this height, his optics gave him perfect vision as he looked down onto the ground below to see Starscream out of his armour and facing off against someone else in it… someone who looked familiar. All he could see was a human adolescent face and dark-ish hair, and his mind immediately jumped to one conclusion: Miya. He was so surprised to not only see his human here but facing off against Starscream that he dropped the fossil.

The fossil hit the Apex Armour before rolling to the floor, but he barely noticed. He swooped down and landed on the back of the Autobot ship, growling at Starscream to back away from his human before casting said human a glare.

But the Apex Armour was already running away from him, and the Predacon blinked with surprise. Why would Miya run from him? Either way, it didn't matter. She had disobeyed him and he planned to discipline her for not doing as she was told. He would drill this lesson into her that he was the alpha and she would do as told and suffer the consequences if she did not. He leapt onto her, pinning her to the floor beneath his claws and turning her over so that she would see –

And he was met with a face that was definitely not Miya's. The Predacon reared his head back in disgust as he realised that it was not Miay at all, but the human female that the Autobots kept with them. He remembered this one as being the one with the autobots when he had hunted them on that first night, and he glared down at the human with anger. He was angry that he had mistaken this girl for Miya, angry at the deception, and angry for facing this enemy again. He would kill this human for that.

Rearing back he struck at the Armour with his claws, attempting to slice it open as he smashed into it repeatedly. He heard the human girl scream and attempt to get away, tossed inside the armour much like Starscream had been. But he was relentless and unforgiving as he continued to try and shell the fleshling out of the armour that was hindering him in his attempts to squash her.

"Go ahead!" He heard Starscream yell with a grin in his voice, though the Predacon ignored him. "Make a wreck of her! As you no doubt did the Wreckers! Perhaps this will teach you how to actually kill a human..."

 _"Starscream! Status report!_ " The Predacon heard Megatron's voice come through the comm. link as he grabbed the armour in his jaws and began to shake it around like a ragdoll, the girl screaming along with it.

"Master," He heard Starscream say. "We have secured the bone and our predacon is dealing with the autobot's pet human as we speak. On _my_ command of course…"

 _"I will not risk losing a precious commodity to your arrogance."_ Megatron growled.

The Predacon slammed his prey into the ground, and although the girl looked battered from being thrown around, she seemed unharmed – much to his frustration. The girl even had the audacity to glare up at him defiantly.

"I'll tear you apart!" She spat.

The Predacon answered her by roaring furiously as he summoned the hottest flames he could muster. He unleashed them onto the Apex Armour, wanting to melt it and cook the human alive inside of it. He flapped his wing as he hovered in the air as he continued to breathe the inferno onto the human in the cybertronian armour.

 _"Have the beast return with my prize,"_ He barely heard Megatron over the roar of the flames. _"You can stay behind and finish the autobots."_

"Yes Master…" The Predacon heard Starscream murmur as he shut off the flames and turned to stare down at Starscream holding the fossil in his servo. "Assuming I can coerce the brainless brute into –"

Starscream didn't get out another word as the Predacon smashed him into the ground. He'd had enough. Roaring in Starscream's face, he wanted the Seeker to know exactly where they stood: that he would no longer be taking this disrespect and that the Seeker was now rolling the dice with his own life. If Megatron didn't seem to value the useless second for whatever reason, the Predacon would have terminated him in that instant. But he had orders, and so picked up the bone between his teeth before launching himself into the sky and soaring away.

"What?!" He heard Starscream shriek indignantly. "You never obey _my_ commands!"

The Predacon ignored him, and continued to fly. He needed to get back to the warship and give his master the bone, then he could get back to Miya. As he flew, he couldn't stop his processor from drifting back to that vision he'd had, unable to shake it from his thoughts…

* * *

 **Author's Note: I apologise for any and all mistakes, but I wanted to get this chapter out for you guys and I'm exhausted -_-**

 **Please review!**


	11. Predacon's Bonded

Predacon's Bonded:

It did not take the Predacon long to fly back to the Nemesis, and as he approached the flight deck in order to land, he was somewhat surprised to see Lord Megatron waiting for him. As the Predacon landed upon the upper hull, a loud ' _bang_ ' making itself known as the metal-panelling of the ship took his weight, he walked proudly with his held high. His prize was secured between his teeth, and he saw the way Megatron's grin broke across his face with delight.

From the corner of his optics, the Predacon observed a little shadow, and knew in an instant that it was Miya. How she had managed to get herself out of their little den and then managed to sneak her way up here, he didn't know, but couldn't exactly stop to ask her. The Predacon focused his gaze back onto Megatron and placed the rusted bone at his feet before lifting his head high in pride. The vision from earlier was still replaying through his mind, but he decided to not let on how troubled he was by it.

Starscream and his two vehicons came racing back to the Nemesis not long after the Predacon had arrived, looking a little dented around the edges. The vehicons slunk away as if their tails were tucked between their legs, and Starscream's head was lowered fearfully as he approached Lord Megatron to report of what had happened. The Predacon couldn't help but lift a mandible in beastly smirk as he watched the Seeker's discomfort. But whilst Lord Megatron was busy dealing with Starscream, the Predacon noticed Miya sprint from the shadows of her hiding place and duck behind his leg and out of sight before anyone could see her. Despite the fact that she was now surrounded by Decepticons, the Predacon had to admit that he was a little relieved to have her close.

Megatron turned away from Starscream with a frustrated snarl, before taking a breath to calm himself. When he seemed to be at ease again, he stooped down to pluck up the bone in his servos, eyeing it with a flash of his cunning grin as he inspected it.

"Ah, you performed well, my pet." Megatron congratulated the Predacon as he held up his servo to the beast. He Predacon hesitated for only a moment as he eyed the sharp claws suspiciously. Only Miya had ever petted him before, and he was a little uncomfortable with being treated like a hound by his master. But he still complied as he bent his head forward and allowed Megatron to run his hand along his jaw and up towards his horns as he showered him with praise. "This will be a splendid contribution to the spawning of your predacon brethren…"

That had the Predacon much more focused on Megatron then before. What did he mean by 'spawning'? Were there more Predacons coming? If so, then why were they not already here? Why was he not aware of this until now?

"My Liege," Came the sultry voice of the red mech known as Knockout, the Ship's medic as he stood to attention behind Megatron. "We've located another one of Shockwave's energy signatures. Weak, but steady."

"Excellent." Megatron said, as he turned to look at the medic over his shoulder. "Knockout, do not return empty handed."

"Moi?" Knockout asked with mock offence as a smirk grew across his face. "Don't know the meaning of the word."

"Isn't 'empty-handed' two words?" Sneered Starscream.

"You would know," Knockout growled out as he turned to face the second-in-command. "Or did your missing armour turn up?" The Predacon felt his mandibles part with excitement, for he was eager to see _someone_ beat the scrap out of Starscream!

"Why you wheel bound –" Starscream growled.

"Starscream!" Megatron snapped as he loomed over the two, effectively breaking up the confrontation. "You have failed me enough for one day. Assume the task of monitoring for predacon energy signatures – _at once!"_

"Yes, My Liege." Starscream murmured as he bowed his head in submission. Though he still shoved Knockout aside as he walked passed him.

"I'm sure you'll find the gig as invigorating as I did, Screamer!" Knockout called to the Seeker tauntingly with heavy sarcasm, causing Starscream to growl to himself in frustration. The Predacon heard Miya snort to herself, and he lowered his head in order to rumble his own amusement to her out of the corner of his optic.

"Let us leave our beast to deal with his… _pet_." Megatron murmured.

The Predacon's head snapped up. Megatron knew that Miya had been there? Yet had done nothing? The Predacon wondered at how this could have happened. Possibly, Megatron was so pleased with the victory that had been scored against the autobots that he was willing to either tolerate or ignore Miya. Or, he was merely learning to accept that she was the Predacon's. Though it was more than likely the former. Lord Megatron and Knockout began to walk back towards the door that would lead them into the interior of the ship, but the Predacon still listened to them intently.

"Shockwave has initiated the cloning process with the specimens gathered thus far," Megatron said. "The Predacon currently among us, will be but the first of a new wave of beast-machine super soldiers."

As Megatron and Knockout disappeared into the interior of the ship, the Predacon still stood there watching where they had gone, his processor alive with interest at what he had just learned. So there _were_ going to be more of his species? Could it be possible that he would soon no longer be the only one of his kind? Was his loneliness about to be at an end? Or was this just one more false hope…

"What are you lurking about for?!" The Predacon hissed when Starscream's snappish tone interrupted his thoughts. The Seeker was standing at his tail with the indignant huff of a sulking sparkling. "Get back to your kennel!" He snarled before kicking out at the Predacon's tail.

With an outraged growl, the Predacon swept up his tail before swinging it at Starscream. The seeker shrieked and jumped out of the way, allowing the Predacon's tail to smash into a communications dish and shatter the top half of it into pieces. Starscream landed heavily on the other side of the flight-deck, but shakily managed to pick himself back up. When he saw what had happened, his optics went wide.

"You mindless brute!" He hissed. "Look what you've done!"

The Predacon did look at the sparking and completely demolished dish, but paid it no interest as he glared back at the Seeker, his yellow optics narrowed as he growled out a warning to not test him again. He'd thought he'd made it extremely clear to Starscream earlier today: he would be out for the mech's energon if this continued, for he would no longer tolerate this behaviour.

Starscream however seemed far too preoccupied with the broken dish to worry over the Predacon's animalistic warnings. He quickly called in two vehicons and ordered them to set to work on repairing the dish, and Miya and the Predacon lounged on the flight deck as they watched the entertaining show. Starscream was close to pulling his own processor out with stress as he paced back and forth – a most gratifying sight for the Predacon. Miya seemed to be a little interested in what the vehicons were doing, though she dared not venture further then the protective wall of the Predacon's forelimbs around her from where she sat beside his chest.

"The primitive mutt demolishes our entire communications network!" Starscream vented in frustration as he continued to pace back and forth in front of the two vehicons. "And Lord Megatron intends to breed _more_ of it? Would you two hurry!" He snapped at the vehicons. "I want this fixed before our master…" Starscream trailed off as a look of fear entered his eyes. "…is bothered by such distracting minutiae…"

The two vehicons promptly seemed to finish reassembling the communications dish as they stood and awaited to be dismissed. Starscream walked up to the panel, and touched a set of keys on a small key pad. The Predacon watched with great interest as he stared at the code Starscream seemed to be entering, wondering what it was for…

"Entering access over-ride code and rebooting now." Starscream said, standing beside his finished work smugly.

And then, the dish fried and spat sparks as it hissed and completely malfunctioned. Starscreamed jumped back from the electricity that fried out of it and even Miya shrunk away from the angrily hissing display. Starscream looked back at the ruined dish with complete horror dawning on his features.

"No…" He murmured. "No, No, No, No, No, No, No!" He chanted before kicking the dish, making it spit sparks again.

Whilst Miya snorted at Starscream's predicament, the Predacon looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun was close to setting. He gathered that Starscream and his vehicons would be here for a while until either the dish was repaired or Megatron became aware of what had happened. Either way, the Predacon was not going to get any peace here on the flight deck, and he had no interest in staying cooped up and useless in his den. He wanted to do something, he wanted to fly, as was his right as apex predator of the sky, and besides, he needed to find Miya more food. Perhaps now would be the best time.

Standing, he began to walk away from the distracted Seeker, and after looking at him in confusion, Miya had to run to keep up with him as he walked towards the very end of the flight deck. He looked out over the lip and into the oblivion of the sky as clouds passed around and below them as the warship stayed in cover. One could not even see the ground through the thick clouds, but he could feel the weight of gravity attempt to pull him into the seemingly endless drop.

Miya hung away from the edge nervously, not daring to come close at all. The Predacon regarded her out of the corner of his optic, thinking. He knew he would need to take her if he wanted to get her food, but he'd grown tired of carrying her and constantly having to watch how tightly he was holding her for fear of slicing her in half. Looking around at the spectacular display around them of the sun warming the clouds until they glowed as if they were aflame, he realised that he wanted Miya to experience true flying. She'd only ever flown with him when she was frightened out of her mind or unconscious, so how would she enjoy true flying? He noticed how nervous she was as she refused to come any closer to the edge, and thought he would amend this. He was a creature of the skies, and any child under his care would need to be one with the air also.

So, without little care if she protested, he clamped his sharp teeth on her tattered and dirty hood before lifting her into the air and swinging his head around before he deposited her on his back. She slid against his smooth metal plates and almost caught herself on the ridges running along his back. She rested on top of his shoulders just before his neck, and instantly sat straight up as she realised where she was and clung to him tightly.

"Oh no!" She yelped, her breathing and heart rate suddenly escalating as she clung to him tighter still. "No-no! Please – don't! I can't! I'll fall off!"

The Predacon snorted at such a foolish notion, as if he would let her fall off. He took a step towards the ledge, but the girl shrieked in fright.

"No!" She cried desperately, and he felt her try to hurriedly slide herself off. "No! I can't do this! Get me down! I won't! You can't make me!"

Oh really? He thought wickedly. He caught her in his teeth again before she could slide off, and set her back on his shoulders. Before the girl could try to climb off again, the Predacon quickly unfurled his wings and leapt off of the side of the ship and fell into the abyss.

Miya screamed clinging to his metal plates as tightly as she could, the wind buffering her body in all directions as it roared around her. The Predacon soared through the air, allowing the clouds to whip past them, enjoying this feel of freedom. But Miya's screams were beginning to hurt his audio receptors, and he glanced back to find her as extremely pale and clinging to him so tightly her limbs were shaking. Seeing how distressed she was, the Predacon decided to slow his flight to a mere glide, going as slow as possible without the need to constantly flap his wings. When he felt they were at a good pace, the Predacon turned his head to look over his shoulder and made a soft crooning sound to Miya.

The girl at first refused to look up from where she had buried her face in her arms, still clinging strongly to him. He didn't know if it was the second time he called to her, or if it was the fact that she noticed how the wind had died around them. But after a while, she slowly looked up and noticed how slowly they were going, and then looked around her.

He saw the moment her eyes widened in wonder, as she looked around at all the light and space around them. Alone in the clouds as they glided steadily onwards, it seemed as if they were the only two in existence. And that wasn't as lonely as it sounded, for it actually felt… peaceful. With only the air and clouds surrounding them and stretching on forever, it felt like the world belonged to them, that there could be nothing but this sweet existence for all eternity. From what the Predacon understood of what humans called "heaven" from the world-wide-web, he could imagine that it looked like they were flying through it at this very moment.

He felt when Miya slowly began to loosen her grip and relax. He glanced out of the corner of his optic to see her looking about with an expression of wonder as she sat up and watched all the clouds dance around them. With a little shift in his wings, he turned and sent them through into the cloud closest to them. As the bank of moisture rolled over them, he heard Miya giggle slightly before they came out of the other side, her slightly damp as she batted away the last wisps from in front of her face. Feeling her grow slightly confident, he increased his speed a little as he did a little dip. The girl instantly tensed again, and snatched back her hold on his metal-plates. But when nothing drastic happened and he came out of the dip and he soared on the wind currents with ease, she slowly began to relax once more.

The Predacon continued to fly slowly, testing the boundaries of what Miya was comfortable with every once in a while. If he went too fast suddenly, then she would instantly become afraid again, but he tried to ease her into the process, to make her learn to enjoy herself. But he liked the fact that it didn't take Miya long to progress: she hated the fact that she wasn't able to control anything about this, which was why it frightened her to be so uncomfortable. And yet, she was exhilarated by the speed, by the daring of it all. He knew he had to make her give up the illusion of control, only then would she begin to enjoy herself. Soon her squeaks of fear whenever he swooped low to catch a fast updraft of wind that would send them shooting upwards, was replaced by shrieks of excited laughter. At one point, he even felt her briefly let go of him to reach out with both her hands to the sky that surrounded them.

Each time he heard her laugh or whoop for joy, the Predacon couldn't help how his spark grew warm at the sounds. She was enjoying this, enjoying spending time with him. He was showing her a whole new experience that she would never have been able to engage in, and she was loving it. He couldn't have felt more proud to know that he could show her the beauty of this moment, and share in this wonder with her.

As he flapped his wings hard and angled his tail to send them shooting upwards, he performed a daring move with her as he twirled softly in place as they broke through the clouds. Leaning his weight forward, he pointed them into a dive that sent them rocketing towards the ground. They passed through all the layers of clouds in seconds, the wind howled in their ears, and the Predacon could almost feel that Miya was holding on for dear life. As they broke through the bottom layer of clouds, the Predacon snapped open his wings and they were sent soaring through the air. The landscape was revealed to them in all its mesmerising colours, and he heard Miya gasp as she beheld the world from the eye-view of a god. But in a second, he raced back into the cloud cover before levelling off and allowing his speed to slow. As he did, he heard Miya not whimpering with fear, but cheering as if she had scored a victory, and his scanners picked up how exhilarated her heartbeat was. The girl laughed as she laid herself down upon his shoulders, giggling as the adrenaline slowly dissipated from her system. She didn't hold onto him tightly, she merely lay there contentedly, humming to herself, and the Predacon crooned to her in response. For a moment, he didn't care if he was made of metal and she of flesh, that didn't matter. In this moment, they were two creatures of the sky.

Feeling his mandibles flex in a wicked grin, he realised that she was probably accustomed to flying now for him to be a little daring with her. So he gave her a minute or two to become accustomed to the flight. And then, without warning, he spun himself in the air and threw her off, where she fell into the empty air.

He heard her scream as she fell, but he was instantly swooping down after her, hardly a difficulty to catch up with her. He dived until he was level with her, seeing her flaying about as she panicked and screamed. Luckily they were low enough for the altitude and wind to not hamper her breathing. She looked at him desperately, as if she expected him to snatch her out of the air. But when she saw him just fall with her, an amused gleam in his optics, she scowled at him furiously.

"This is not funny!" She screamed at him. This of course, only made the Predacon bark with his own beastly-laughter. But he saw that the ground was quickly approaching, and took her hood in between his teeth before slowly changing their flight direction so that they curved to a straight.

With her dangling in front of his mouth, she got to see up close what was approaching them as he soared over the treetops of a great pine forest that spread out below them. Birds scattered in a panic around them, and Miya gasped when she saw a mighty eagle venture closer to them in curiosity as it continued on its flight, head held high in regal splendour. The Predacon gave one more giant thrust of his wings that sent them racing towards the sky, and Miya tried to hold on to his mandibles on either side of her for stability. As they broke through the clouds, the Predacon tossed Miya into the air above him. She shrieked with surprise, before falling back towards him as he twisted in the air to catch her. Only when she realised that she was safely in his claws as she shakily opened her eyes, did she finally giggle a little before a grin broke out across her face.

They played that way for a little while, the Predacon throwing her about in the air before catching her, or they would chase the wind or race with the clouds. At one point, Miya's bubbling laughter became so infectious that the Predacon couldn't help himself but roar with her. They were simply lost in their own happiness for a short time.

But as the sun was lost beyond the horizon, yet its light still lingered on the land, the Predacon and Miya's antics began to calm as they merely lazily glided over the landscape. His mind sobered as he remembered why he had come out here with Miya in the first place, and realised that those at the Nemesis would soon hail them back if they were gone too long. So, the Predacon descended towards the earth, and upon landing, he knelt down to allow Miya off of his back.

The girl stumbled a little as her knees were wobbly after the flight, but she soon regained her senses. The Predacon knew that they were in the middle of the wilderness, but civilisation wasn't too far. But he knew that perhaps some wild animals were nearby, and he could hunt them whilst Miya foraged for whatever other vegetation humans could eat.

But before he could order his human to stay put, he turned to find her gone from where he had taken his eyes off of her a second ago. He made a loud rumbling call, as if he were calling a sparkling back home to the nest, but then felt like swatting himself with his tail, for of course Miya wouldn't understand the meaning behind the vocalisation. But he then heard the snap of a twig ahead of him, and began to trudge through the forest as he followed the sound of where Miya was.

He found her past the treeline where the forest ended about fifty feet from where they'd landed, standing at the top of a hill, with a single blossom tree growing on its own at the apex of the hill. Miya was standing at the top of the hill beside the tree, her back to him as she looked out over whatever was beyond. The Predacon came to stand beside her on the hill and gave her a scolding huff for wandering off. Her gaze glued to what was ahead, which wasn't much. The Predacon gave her another impatient growl, and she glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the horizon.

"Look at that…" She whispered reverently.

Confused, the Predacon did as she asked and looked out over what she was seeing. The hill on which they stood on, was the highest point for miles, enabling one to look out over the entire landscape beyond. They were facing the south, with the eastern and western points on either side of them, the west aglow as it bathed the land in the last light of day. The landscape beyond was flat but untamed by man, a vast wilderness spread out in front of them, as if it were secret and unseen by any until not. The Predacon could imagine that the sun was always on this spot, hence the reason for the lone yet strong tree beside them, and he could feel a constant yet soft wind against him. Being a machine, the Predacon didn't have much of an opinion on a view, but if he had to guess… he could very well believe that others would consider this sight glorious.

"It's beautiful…" Miya whispered, and the Predacon glanced at her in curiosity. "I never even knew this existed…" She looked up the Predacon, a small smile dawning on her features as her eyes sparkled in the fading light. "This can be our secret place."

The Predacon tilted his head at her like an owl, wanting her to clarify what she meant by that.

"A place only we know of," The girl explained, her grin becoming wider with every passing second in excitement. "Somewhere that's special, where we can come and just… be us. It will be our secret place."

Huffing in amusement at the child's imagination, the Predacon decided to let her have this illusion for herself. He turned his head back to look out over the horizon, growing rather content in his spark as he had to admit, the sight was rather appealing. He felt like a king overseeing his entire domain from here. He looked back down at the child, and was mildly surprised to see her sitting and leaning against his foreleg as she simply gazed out into the distance as she watched the last of the light fade. The Predacon felt his spark grow warm at seeing this tiny soft fleshing at peace with a lethal killing machine such as himself.

And then, the Predacon thought back to earlier, of how they were not merely cybertronian and human, or machine and fleshling. They were kindred spirits. They were one and the same, and he had to wonder as to how it had come to be like this so quickly, how could he suddenly be so soft for a mere human? It didn't start out that way. He had been proud, ferocious, domineering... yet lonely. The first and last of his kind in eons, he'd been alone since he'd awakened in the tank, and it had burned his spark. Yet now it was different. For he'd found in a little human girl, companionship and true peace. Who could have foreseen that they would reach this stage when he'd taken her prisoner on that dark night? He'd known, somewhere in his spark, that fate had brought them together. A child banished his demons as he guarded her from hers. They were kin. As strange as it was, they were two creatures made to quell the other's loneliness.

And in that moment of understanding, the Predacon realised that Miya was more than just his _thing_ or his _pet_. No, she was more than that. With a shock, he realised that he saw her as his own… like his own sparkling… At the thought, he felt his spark grow warm and joyful, so much emotion coursing through him that he thought his processor would short-circuit. But was this madness? How could a cybertronian ever see a human as his own sparkling? That was simply not possible! But he felt his spark grow furious at such a denial, and knew that there would be no disregarding this fact now. He loved Miya like his own child, and nothing could dissuade his spark from feeling how _right_ it was. And besides, he had no other predacons for him to call as his family, and he never felt lonely when Miya was near, and he did truly care for her.

His mandibles parted to form their own slow beastly smile, as he settled down to lay beside Miya, using one claw to push her between his forelegs and against his chest. She chuckled, but readjusted herself as she leaned against his chest contentedly, and his spark grew warm at having her near. And so his mind was made up. Miya was his sparkling, and he fully accepted the role of being her sire.

And for the time being, they could stay in their little 'secret place', and simply be at peace, until the world called them back.


	12. Predacon's Researcher

Predacon's Researcher

* * *

When the sun had fully set and night had truly begun to take its hold on the world, they left their Secret Place, and the uncommon duo made their way back into the wilderness. The Predacon continued to run scans of the landscape as he searched for viable food sources for his human-sparkling, and made a memo to himself to patch into the human-society's internet in order to do extensive research on the subject of human nutrition. He didn't want to accidentally poison his sparkling or give her too much of one thing when she also needed something else. He vented, mandibles clicking with anxiousness. Why couldn't humans be simple and consume Energon? There was nothing wrong with it; it was a rather viable source of fuel. Organics just had to be picky.

"Hey!" He heard Miya call to him from where she clung onto his back, having to shout to be heard above the winds around them. "Can we stop over there?!"

He turned his head in order to glance back at her so he could see where she was pointing to. Following her outstretched arm, his optics picked up activity at the edge of the forest along the human road. It was a small town, barely noticeable as it sat in the middle of nowhere, just a few short buildings clustered together. The only way to tell it was there at all was the light pollution leaking into the sky from the streetlights.

The Predacon snorted with a firm shake of his head. There wasn't any way by Primus that he was going to take his sparkling so close to human territory. He knew that he had to keep as low a profile as possible, and he couldn't exactly go stomping around human settlements. That was bound to draw attention. But he felt Miya lean over the side of his shoulder, trying to catch his optic.

"Please!" She shouted up to him so his audio receptors could pick up her little voice. "I need new clothes and stuff!"

The Predacon wanted to give her another firm negative to the suggestion, but her words made him ponder. He glanced back at her and did a quick but discreet scan. The concept of clothing was alien to him and other cybertronians for that matter, as they were made as they were, only various upgrades changed the appearance at suitable times. But humans were soft and fragile and weird. No other life form on this planet needed to adorn themselves in garments. It only solidified the Predacon's belief that humans were not built to survive, as they needed extra protection against the elements as well as to hide their modesty. But he had to admit, Miya's clothes were now dirty and torn and barely holding together. He noticed how her body temperature rarely grew above what was basically needed for her to survive, and so he knew that he would need to give in to her request.

He vented with a huff, knowing he wasn't going to like this one bit. But he still changed course as he silently glided towards the unsuspecting town.

He quickly spotted a suitable place to land, as the town was surrounded by hills that the light didn't shine on where he could easily be undetected. Landing as softly and as quietly as he possibly could, the Predacon kept his optics and audio receptors on alert for any sign that they had been discovered. Only when he was sure that no one suspected their presence, did he let Miya down off of his shoulder as she climbed down his foreleg.

"Okay," She whispered. "Stay here, I'll be back as soon as I can!"

The Predacon growled, not liking the idea of letting her wander off alone. But the girl was already off and running towards the town. Lying himself flat against the hill with his head at the top, he watched with focused optics as he carefully followed Miya about the town.

The first place she went to was a 24hour store beside a refuelling station. With his optics narrowing in on her position, the Predacon was able to follow Miya as she snuck into the store as quietly as possible, noticing how the human at the desk was already asleep. Miya quickly went about the store, and the Predacon had to shift his optics' programming to heat-seeking so that he could continue to watch Miya through thermal scans when she ducked out of his line of visual. The girl quickly went around the store picking up various food items, as well as bottles of chemicals and then clothes. As silently as she had entered, she then slipped back out, keeping her head down in the case of cameras following her movements.

It surprised the Predacon slightly that Miya seemed to comfortable and so at ease with stealing. Had she done this before? His mandibles clicked against his teeth in thought, and he made it a point to try and figure out why his sparkling seemed to know how to thieve. He couldn't exactly ask her, so he would need to puzzle it out on his own.

The second place she went to was next to the fuelling station, a public lavatory bunker. There were no windows, so the Predacon had to use his thermal vision in order to make sure Miya was in there by herself and unharmed. Because when using his thermal vision he couldn't make out details, only shapes of bodies, a lot of things were unclear to him. He could make out the girl using the various bottles of chemicals she'd picked up to apply them to her body before washing them off and putting on her new clothes. When she came back out, he switched back to his normal vision to find her dressed in new jeans and a thicker hoodie as well as new shoes. Her skin was shinier, and her auburn hair damp, and the Predacon concluded that she must have been grooming herself.

Much to his confusion, Miya left the food that she'd stolen in the bathroom in a hidden corner before she trotted across the town towards a building with the word: "LIBRARY" on the front. Seeing as this building was the closest to the Predacon, he stealthily moved himself around so that he was position by a large window looking into the interior of the Library. It was a building housing books, but Miya instead sat herself at a computer terminal closest to his window, checking over her shoulder to make sure he was there. She offered him her secret smile, and the Predacon had to wonder at how she could spot him in the darkness. Perhaps she could see the glow of his yellow optics?

The Predacon then watched as Miya searched through the computer terminal in order to connect to the internet. With curiosity, he watched as she manually searched through the internet, leaving him to wonder how humans seemed so ill equipped that they couldn't link with something like the internet simultaneously.

He was very curious to discover that she was searching for herself, when he recognised the name "Miya Kenston". Was Kenston her second designation? The 'family-name', as humans called them. Miya herself seemed to be searching through news articles, though he had no idea why she would be researching herself. She payed most close attention to any articles with reports from authorities. The Predacon felt his processor burn with questions as this mystery deepened. But there weren't many articles for her to look through, and her research soon came to a quick end.

As if she could feel his optics on her burning with questions, she turned to glance at him out of the window, an amused smile growing on her face. She then turned back to the computer, and tilted the screen slightly so that it was better facing him. He watched as she typed into the all-knowing _Google_ -engine the word 'dragon' before clicking on the images. She turned to watch him as his optics scanned the various images that came up on the screen. He was interested to say the least, for he was assaulted with images of what looked like organic versions of himself. Large, burly reptiles with massive wings and sharp teeth and even breathing fire. The resemblances were so uncanny that the Predacon had to take a moment to wonder if there was more of a connection here then he realised.

Miya's expression turned thoughtful, before she turned back to the computer and modified the search for 'robot-dragon'. The images changed, though these ones didn't seem to… fit. There weren't many of them to begin with, but the ones that were there didn't seem to match as well as the organic pictures did. But despite his disappointment in that regard, the Predacon was suddenly struck with an idea…

It wasn't long after that that Miya left the library and went back to the public bathroom to pick up the pieces of food that she'd stolen before running back towards him. The Predacon greeted her with a friendly chitter as he clacked his mandibles, already his spark was more at ease at having his sparkling back with him again. Stuffing the food she'd stolen down inside her hoodie, Miya quickly climbed back onto the Predacon's back as he crouched down for her. When she was safely in place, he leapt into the air and they both made their way back to the Nemesis.

When they arrived, Lord Megatron was beside the communications dish that had been broken, shouting at Starscream who constantly cowered away whilst Shockwave fixed the dish. The Predacon eyed the dish carefully as he passed, but otherwise brushed right past the group, Miya safely still on his back as he went straight towards their den. The group didn't pay them any mind, apart from Starscream who gawked at Miya perched on the Predacon as she was.

Back in their den, both the Predacon and Miya seemed to be a little more at ease, but as the girl began to deposit her stolen food by the truck filled with water bottles, she had that thoughtful look on her face. Settling himself down, the Predacon decided to wait and see what she said, seeing as he knew that the girl's curiosity would soon get the better of her.

"You know, I can't seem to understand you…" She murmured as she turned to look at the Predacon, a hand on her hip as she looked at him as if he were a giant puzzle. "You're dragon-shaped, but you're a robot. Everyone on this ship is a robot, but you're all aliens – you gotta be! But the others don't seem to think you're the same as them. So… who are you? Or, rather, _what_ are you?"

Ah, the questions that had been burned into his processor by his own need to know the answers. How could the child expect him to answer her when he did not even know the answers himself? Why _didn't_ he know the answers himself?! It was so frustrating and so confusing to have so many questions about himself of all things, that it was actually enough to put him in the start of a foul mood. He snapped his jaws as he growled, glaring away from her to look at the wall.

But the girl still flinched at his sudden negative behaviour, slightly taken aback by it. The Predacon forced himself to calm, though the frustration still made his generator crank with fire. He curtly commanded her to settle for sleep with a slight huff and gesture of his head, and Miya was a little hesitant as she came towards him. His spark flickered with guilt to think that he had frightened her, but he couldn't help it now, and so let her get comfortable by his side before he curled around her. It took a while, but before long, Miya was asleep.

Yet still he remained functional as recharge wouldn't claim him, his processor far too alive with questions that refused to let him rest. He couldn't keep them from circling around in his consciousness, taunting him, never ceasing in their demand to be answered. It was many hours later when he finally could take no more and gave in.

It was such a late hour that he surmised that most aboard the Nemesis were either in recharge or it were busy at their stations and therefore would be unaware of him. Miya was fast asleep as he slowly and carefully curled out and quietly left her there, leaving the den as stealthily as he possibly could as he snuck his way back towards the flight-deck. He came upon the newly repaired dish and peered at the small control panel. It was easy to recall from his memory-banks the code that Starscream had used earlier, and knowing he would need that code to gain access to the system, the Predacon used a careful claw and typed in the code.

He sat there for a while processing all of the information that he gathered from the warship's databanks. First researching into the predacon species, and learning that they once ruled Cybertron before being extinct by a great cataclysm. During the war for Cybertron, Megatron then cloned a few and sent them to earth in order to safeguard the deposits of energon on the planet, before the passage of time and starvation slowly killed them off. The predacons had influenced early human-kind and inspired many of their myths, which would explain why he had felt such a resemblance with the pictures Miya had shown him. There were also several references to a _'project-predacon'_ in the files, but every time he tried to gain more information on the project, his access was denied due to the fact that it was highly classified.

Then, he'd tried to research himself. It was rather difficult as he had no designation to place into the search and had to try and differentiate from his previous searches when he put in 'predacon'. But eventually he managed to find something. It was merely a file of his composition and records and how he was birthed. All of this was merely historical and scientific fact, nothing that could tell him who he was or what life had been like for him before this.

With his research now at a dead-end, the Predacon realised that he was now no closer to his answers then he had been before. He knew more about his species now, as well as the history of their role in both the war and on cybertron, and it honestly made him proud to come from such a mighty lineage. And yet there was nothing about himself that could give him any answers, not even help him find a designation for himself.

Perhaps… maybe he should name himself then? It wasn't a terrible idea, and seeing as there was nothing else for him to go on, he decided to try. But he needed a suitable name, one that fit to his might and grandeur, something that spoke of who he was and who he wanted to be. The rumours circulating about more predacons arriving meant that he would have a place amongst his own kind, so what did he want that place to be?

He thought of the vision he had had, of a mighty army the likes of which could not be rivalled. What if that was a sign? Could he be part of that army? Could he lead his brethren into a new age, to bring about the second coming of the predacons, where they might herald a dynasty that would far outlive their ancestors? And then, something Miya had said earlier that day came to mind. She had compared him to a king… and somehow, he found her _really_ liked to think of himself as such. Perhaps that could be his new role amongst his own kind… So he might as well go with something along the lines of the title of a king…

Megatron was the lord and master of the Decepticons, but he would be a king of all predacons…

A _Predaking._


	13. Cybertron II

**Author's Note: Sorry this update is late, but real life, new university and other stories got in the way. I also apologise for any and all mistakes, but it's gone midnight here and I'm exhausted -_- Having said that, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because it was my favourite scene from the movie!**

 **Please don't forget to review!**

* * *

Cybertron II

* * *

Upon awakening from his forced recharge, Predaking's systems came back into function with a slight delay as all of the relevant data from before he fell unconscious came shooting back through his processor. It took him a moment to realise what had happened, to remember the last of what had happened. He had been fighting Megatron… but it wasn't Megatron… an evil entity that wielded dark energon… it had invaded his processor, sorted through his memory-banks and tried to rob him of precious information. He remembered dreaming of Miya with a painful stutter of his spark and –

The burial ground.

He didn't know what the demon wanted with it, but instinct told him to get back to his refuge and defend it. Shaking off whatever injuries he had, he'd quickly leapt into the sky, soaring through the air as he raced back towards his new home with all the speed he possessed. Although he didn't know what the demon wanted with the bones of his ancestors, he knew it couldn't be for any good purpose, and he was duty bound to protect his territory and lineage at all costs.

It took him only an hour at most to reach the site of his nest, and as he approached, his scanners detected cybertronian life signals on the ground. But he had no time to focus upon them, if they were enemies he would crush them, but if not, he had more important things to deal with. Yet as he swooped in, he noticed how they were far larger than normal cybertronians… could these be the Predacons the autobots had spoken of? They hadn't been lying? These were the ones he had been hunting?

One was tall and sleek and coloured in various shades of dark blue and silver. Whilst the other was shorter but far broader, with colourings of light blue and gold. The predacon insignia was blazing from their chests, and Predaking felt his spark swell with excitement. For now he was no longer alone, his search for companionship was over. Perhaps now he might be able to fill the empty hole in his spark…

But no. He knew nothing could ever replace that. Replace _her_. The green dragon-head dangling beside his own predacon symbol was now his only reminder of her, other than the memories and er immortal place in his spark. But the sorrowful reminder was enough to bring him back onto task as he quickly landed, and transformed just as his feet slammed into the ground. But the sight before him made his optics go wide in horror.

"The burial ground… desecrated…" He gaped.

For indeed, it was. Where not hours ago, the field had lain riddled with countless skeletons of creatures that lived eons passed, it now stood empty. Not a single bone was left, and the metal plates were disturbed. The graves were robbed of their owners, and Predaking felt deeply unsettled that any would do this to a rusting body. It was not natural, and every program in his system fought against the very idea.

"Strip mined of all that remained of our ancestors…" He said to the two Predacons behind him as he clenched a fist before relaxing in despair.

"Heh, you should've been here to see 'em rise and shine!" Growled out on of the other's in a gravelled voice that barely spoke with any eloquence. But still, the manner of his words made Predaking pause, for surely what he said was impossible…

"They… live?" He questioned, disbelieving as he slowly turned to face the other two.

"If you call being undead 'living'." Said the darker of the two, this one's voice far more pleasing to the ear. But as he spoke, Predaking realised what must have happened, for there could be no other explanation. He had seen its like once before, and it made his spark burn with outrage.

"Dark Magic!" He snarled, vexed. "Perpetrated by the demon who lives in Megatron's skin!"

"Just be glad you're alive, so the demon can't pull _your_ strings!" the taller of the two said.

"Do you not comprehend the scope of this tragedy?" Predaking demanded, narrowing his optics upon them as if they were simple-minded. "We three are proof that our mighty race might once again have flourished. They remains must be reclaimed. If for no other reason than to be properly laid back to rest."

He strode past them, his very presence commanding them to follow and fall in line. He was the most dominant of them all, and he merely fell into the role of a leader with ease. At another time, he would have wanted to take the time to learn of his new companions, for they were kin after all. But now was the time to make haste, not for idle chit-chat. He was determined to track down his undead ancestors, and he knew a walking terricon army of that size would not be difficult to follow.

"And who made you boss?" growled out the crude voice of the shorter predacon behind Predaking, his tone insolent and challenging. Predaking stopped, feeling his spinal struts stiffening as rage swept through him. That kind of language was unbefitting of a predacon, and he knew without a doubt that Starscream had infected them with his poisonous mannerisms. It made his generator burn.

"I am not your _boss_." He spat, before turning around on them with blazing optics. "I am your KING!"

The other two crouched low, ready to attack, and Predaking merely brandished his sharp servos, optics narrowed, ready for them. They wasted no time in the charge, clearing the space between them in good speed. Predaing would have commended them on their speed and synchronisation, but unfortunately he was not in the very complimentary mood. In fact, he was furious. How often had he dreamed of this moment, when he would speak with one of his own kind, have brothers in arms he would connect with on an instinctual level and be welcomed as the family they were always meant to be. This was nothing like what he had hoped for, and suddenly all of his desperate hopes born from loneliness and grief tasted like ash in his mouth.

But they were still his brethren, they bore the symbol that made them kin, and so he would make them worthy of that honour. He would force them into submission, and assert his dominance the old fashioned way, so to speak.

The moment when they came within striking distance – the fools did not deviate from their path and simply came at him head on – Predaking shifted his weight onto a foot behind him, and bounced back and sprung forward towards them. Their optics widened at their mistake, but too late. Predaking swatted the taller of the two aside and then smashed his sharp servos into the shorter one. The pale-blue-on-gold mech was flung back, bouncing along the floor in a heap.

"Darksteel!" Predaking heard the darker one shout in worry.

The one called Darksteel seemed to shake himself before leaping back at Predaking, swinging his fists and trying to kick at him, which he easily blocked. But as he absorbed each blow, Predaking noted his opponent's strength, and quickly assessed that Darksteel used brawn over speed. Using that to his advantage, Pradaking feinted to avoid another hit, but used his superior swiftness to clamp his hold onto Darksteel's arm and drag him down to one knee, before using his superior might to beat the insolence out of his helm.

But he only managed to get in two strikes, when something collided with his back, arms coming around his shoulders and wrestling him away from Darksteel. It was the other of the two, and Predaking growled in annoyance at this interruption. As he tried to reach up to get the pest off, Darksteel recovered himself and charged. Before he could get close, Predaking kicked out a leg and sent him flying backwards quite a way.

Reaching up, Predaking snagged his servos on the other predacon's helm and pulled him off his back and over his shoulder, so that his adversary was facing him. The predacon broke out of his hold, and tried to slice at him with surprising speed and intellect, but Predaking had no time to make anything of this, and so simply backhanded the predacon with all his strength, sending the younger mech into the air with the force of the blow.

"Skylynx!" Darksteel screeched. So he had their names now, which would be good for later, but right now, he wanted this fight over with. They had other things to be dealing with.

Darksteel snarled as he charged at Predaking again, and tried to tackle him around the middle, attempting to push the larger mech over. But Predaking held his ground, and tried to wrench his opponent off. But when Darksteel's grip tightened, Predaking simply brought both his spiked elbows down onto Darksteel's back, staggering the mech, before he punched him off. Darksteel rolled across the floor, but managed to control his fall and ended in a crouch, looking up at Predaking with a little hesitancy. Good, now he knew he couldn't win.

Predaking advanced on his opponent, but was too late to notice when his audio receptors started to pick up the sound of wingbeats at the same time as Darksteel smirked.

Something smashed into Predaking's back, and he felt claws clamp onto his shoulders and lift him off of the ground. He looked around wildly to see a dragon-form, one designed different then his own, carrying him, and knew it to be Skylynx. Skylynx then shoved Predaking into the ground as they flew, scraping his plates along the floor as he dragged him. Predaking didn't even have time to shout in pain before he was flung against the wall of the raised platform he had stood on overlooking the autobots not hours earlier.

He gritted his teeth, hissing under his breath as he tried to get his 'second-wind', or so the human saying went. But before he could pick himself back up, Skylynx's claws clamped around his shoulders once more, alerting him back to the situation as he quickly realised his peril. With Skylynx above on the rise and pinning him in place, Darksteel transformed into a griffon model, and charged straight for him.

Acting on impulse, Predaking reached up and hooked his servos onto one of Skylynx's forelegs that held him. Darksteel didn't seem to understand what he was doing, and continued to charge, even as Skylynx yelped when his centre of gravity shifted unexpectedly. Predaking dragged Skylynx down with all the strength he possessed, and swung him straight into the side of the charging Darksteel. Both predacons were flung aside, rolling over each other in a heap of tails and wings, until they lay there, dazed.

Not wasting a moment, Predaking charged forward and leapt into the air, transforming at the height of his leapt and continuing his charge without breaking his stride. Skylynx had only just gotten up when he saw the far larger dragon bearing down upon them and screamed an alarm to Darksteel, but was cut off when Predaking tackled him.

Predaking managed to get himself above and standing tall, but the smaller predacon had the advantage of being able to work around his bigger frame. Skylynx managed to cling to Predaking's back to stay out of reach of his snapping jaws and mandibles, whilst trying to claw open his metal plates. Darksteel was not so clever, and went straight for the larger dragon's throat.

He caught Darksteel in his jaws, and shook him as if he were little more than a sparkling, before flinging him away. His shifting managed to make Skylynx loose his footing, and Predaking twisted to clamp his jaws onto the smaller dragon's tail, and flung him off. The two predacons were then side by side, and gave each other a small look, before leaping in unison at their opponent. But Predaking merely reared back on his hind legs, and caught one in each claw before smashing them back to the ground.

They tried to wriggle free, but he placed his superior weight upon them, pinning them in place. They snarled, but Predaking made a show of shifting the plates on his chest as he fired his generator, the light of the fire travelling up his throat to be held at the back of his mouth as he parted his jaws and roared thunderously in their faces.

There was a moment of stillness, but Darksteel, the more beaten of the two, was the first to transform back, followed quickly by Skylynx. Predaking hovered his teeth a foot away from Darksteel's face, allowing the light of his fire to reflect in his optics as the mech cringed.

"All hail…" he said weakly.

Predaking fixed his glaring optics on Skylynx, and showed him the same view of the fire at the back of his throat, daring him to give him cause to use it. The predacon nodded before finishing: "… Predaking."

Hearing footsteps, Predaking glanced up and his optics immediately flared upon seeing the one-eyed decepticon scientist, Shockwave. Predaking had not expected nor sought to see his creator since he'd begun his mission for vengeance on Cybertron. But now that he was here before him, he felt his spark grow dangerously angry as he remembered facts that he had never had the opportunity to take into account. The medic had told him of what the scientist had done, and now Predaking felt every plate on his body tighten with the need for retribution.

"An impressive display from my creations." Said Shockwave with his ever monotone voice, as if he were simply observing a successful experiment. Predaking's mandibles twitched subtly, for his creator didn't seem to notice the way his prime creation was staring at him fixedly. "But would it not be more logical to employ your might elsewhere at this time?"

The words made Predaking pause, and he realised the truth of them. Personal grudges aside, if the demon inside of Megatron was now controlling an army of terricon predacons, then there was no doubt the autobots would fight against it. Predacon wanted his ancestors released from this wicked spell, and he knew the autobots would be overwhelmed with such sheer numbers. What was the human saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Whilst Predaking was still not of the mind to be alleys with the autobots, he knew this situation called for an unlikely truce.

He climbed off of Darksteel and Skylynx, and quickly transformed into his mech-mode as the other two stood. He gave his creator one final glare, before he glanced at his new brethren.

"We shall find the autobots. Our brethren will not be hard to track with their numbers. We shall catch up with them and the autobots should not be far away." He declared. The other two nodded obediently. Despite how quite they suddenly were, Predaking already noticed how they held themselves a little taller, a little more gracefully, and he was pleased. Starscream had stripped them of their dignity, but he would give it back to them, in spades.

He set off at a brisk walk, and the other two followed. Shockwave watched them go. But, Predaking paused when he came beside his creator, and glanced at the one eyed mech with narrowed optics and a curled lip.

There was no warning as Predaking suddenly smashed his fist into the side of Shockwave's head, causing the purple mech to stagger under the force of the blow. With a snarl the predacon clamped his sharp claws into Shockwave's gun-arm, and transformed his own arm into a blaster. Before anyone could stop him, he fired and blasted his creator with a concentrated blast straight from his generator. He heard the metallic scream, and felt the resistance in the arm he held go limp… as it came away in his hands.

"This… defies logic…" Shockwave murmured in horror as he looked at the energon-spouting wound where his arm had been completely blasted off, the cannon now dangling in Predaking's servos before he dropped it and crushed it underfoot. The Predacon didn't break optic-contact with his creator for a moment, glaring as his lip curled in fury. Shockwave looked up at his creation, trying to understand. "Why?"

"You _know_ why…" Predaking growled.


	14. Predacon's Runaway

**Author's Note: A big thank you to everyone for letting us reach 100 reviews! :D I'm so happy right now!**

 **Also, quickly clarify for the Shockwave fans out there: I didn't kill him off, lol. Starscream's survived losing an arm in the show without much complaint, so that's all I really did last chapter :P And we're going back into the past now, so hope you like it!**

* * *

Predacon's Runaway

* * *

Predaking flew through the dense clouds, enjoying the warmth of the day that heated his metal plating. Beneath the clouds, little sunlight filtered through, making the world below very dreary and ominous. A storm was gathering, he could feel it, his scanners detecting the shift in the air currents as they charged with energy. Usually, he wouldn't have ventured out during the day, or even when a storm was so close, but he and Miya had been cramped in the ship lately, and he felt it best to spread his wings and let his joints relax. Besides, Miya wanted out.

It had been a week since he had chosen his name, and Predaking was very much enjoying his new sense of identity. No longer was he a _thing_ , but a _person_. Miya seemed to sense the shift in him as well, and was put at ease around him again after the little spat of his temper that night before he'd discovered his name. Predaking more enjoyed it when his sparkling relaxed around him, building courage, and she'd even gotten into the habit of climbing all over him. A few days ago they'd gone flying over a forested area, and when taking off, he'd uprooted several trees. One of the branches had gotten caught in one of his panelling where he couldn't reach it. Miya had had to climb over his head and down his neck in order to remove it from him. Miya laughed a little more often now, and Predaking felt proud of himself whenever he could get her to make the pretty sound. It showed that she was happy, and that made him happy.

They landed in a meadow, a little close to a human settlement for Predaking's liking, but Miya insisted that she wanted new clothes – again. He could see that her clothes quickly became dirty, and through constant wear as well as enduring his teeth and claws whenever he picked her up, the clothing eventually tore. But h really did not look forward to waiting around again whilst Miya went to steal new clothes. Why couldn't humans make do with the organic panelling they were born with?

As he laid down to let Miya climb off of his back – she was getting rather adept at getting on and disembarking from his shoulders – he used his scanners to see if there was any unwanted company nearby. His audio-receptors could detect human activity through the trees and over the hills, but by human walking standards it was half of a solar hour away. Reassured that he would be alerted by anyone approaching, he turned his gaze back to his sparkling as she hopped from his leg to the ground.

"Thanks big guy," she grunted as she patted his foreleg with her tiny hand. She then looked about in the general direction of where they'd spotted the human town from the air. Her human hearing couldn't pick the sounds of humans over the hills, so to her it was completely disserted as she looked back up at him with a frown. "But couldn't you've gotten a bit closer?"

Predaking huffed with a snap of his mandibles. His unimpressed optics told her of how he couldn't care less if she wanted to be closer for convenience. He'd picked this spot, so this is where they would stay.

"Okay." Miya murmured as a somewhat devious grin tugged at her lips. She straightened her spine and a mockingly stern expression came over her face as she glared up at him. "Now. Sit and stay. Be a good boy and I'll be back as quick as I can."

Preaking narrowed his optics as a soft growl crept up his throat. His sparkling thought she could give him orders? Treat him like one of the human servant animals she called a dog? He could tell by the mischievous glint in her eye that she was teasing. But as she turned to walk away, his own mandibles flared in a beastly grin. He thrust his face towards her and although it was gentle for him, his mandible still pushed into her back and sent her flying as she fell to the ground.

"Hey!" She cried out as she tumbled through the grass of the meadow. She groaned as she picked herself up, and turned to give him a real glare. But when she saw the smug flare in his optics, a grin of her own came back. "Alright, you're on!"

And just like that, they were playing their little invented game in the meadow. Miya ran to him and tried to wrestle with his face, and he humoured her for a moment, pretending the girl had twice the strength of an adult human that might be able to hold him off for a second. But he eventually pinned her, and it wasn't until he let her up that she darted away and began to run as he slowly chased her. She was better at the game now, using her size to try and out-move him in quick corners, which only worked for as long as he let it. But still her hoots of excited laughter as adrenaline coursed through her veins, was enough to lift his spirits as well.

But after a while, Miya began to grow slow as her muscles tired, and when he caught her for the twelfth and final time, Miya giggled but was almost limp in his hold. Sensing that the game was over, Predaking placed the small girl on the ground, and she lay there a moment, trying to catch her breath. Lifting his head, the wind came strongly through the meadow as the storm clouds above continued to brood. Closing his optics, he leaned into the wind's tender touch, letting it caress his panelling and cooling him a little. Decepticons and organics alike took such a pleasant thing like the wind for granted, but only a creature that flew through the air ever truly appreciated it for what it was. The wind was so soothing, that Predaking felt his systems begin to slow, a recharge calling to him.

Perhaps a quick nap wouldn't hurt. After all, the storm was not yet here and he and Miya were safe for now. His system would remain operational enough to alert him to any development. So, giving in to temptation, Predaking allowed his processor to go into stand-by mode as he laid down and curled up, recharged already setting in. His optics were closing, and he was only half aware when Miya finally climbed to her feet.

"I'll be back soon." The girl whispered, but the predacon was already in deep slumber.

* * *

Miya knew the general direction she needed to head in, and so set off at a brisk walk, pulling her tattered jumper closer as the biting wind ruffled her auburn hair. She calmly left behind the robot-dragon in the meadow and made her way through the trees. Now that she thought about it, the very odd way things had turned out made her wonder if she'd gone crazy and this was all a dream. It seemed too fantastical to be true.

If someone had told her that she'd be captured by an alien-robot-dragon, she would've avoided that person like they had the plague. It sounded like something out of those geeky comics the convenient store used to sell. It just wasn't normal. But then again… her life hadn't been normal for a long time, she thought as she fiddled with the little green necklace. Honestly, Miya didn't know what to think of everything that had happened to her in the last two months. Of course at first she'd been terrified and wanted to escape – and some part of her still wondered if now was the best time to do that? After all, the dragon was asleep and not watching her like a hawk, and she could catch a bus and be half way to anywhere before it even knew she was gone. But then, if it found her again, it would be very angry. She shivered as she reluctantly remembered how it had thrown her across the cell when it had discovered her escaping through the air-shafts. Honestly, the dragon still frightened her sometimes. Whenever it got angry or snapped at her if she did something wrong, she would always have that fleeting fear that it would turn on her, bruise and break her like it almost did.

But then it hadn't become as scary, when the robot had started to act nice, when it had protected her from the other robot-aliens. Despite the fact that it couldn't talk, Miya couldn't shake the feeling that she felt that it didn't want to hurt her, that it cared about her. Some might have called her ridiculous, but she believed that the dragon felt something like affection towards her. She didn't know why, and she didn't know exactly how or what to call it. But it brought her food, and gave her comfort, and kept her safe, and played with her, and even purred when she touched it. All these things made her feel slightly guilty when she had thoughts of leaving it, as if she were betraying the big brute by even thinking such a thing, however briefly.

She might even go as far as to say she was… happy. Yes, she was happy, actually. The dragon gave her everything she needed and was often gentle with her, though could sometimes be a big sour-puss and be rather strict. He kind of reminded her of what some of her friends used to say about what their dads were like. That made her smile. In fact, the only reason she ever fleetingly thought about escape, was when she thought of that ship they always went back to. That was evidently the dragon's home, and the other robots there were his masters, but Miya knew that she was in danger there. All the times she had heard the others say how they wanted to kill her, and then that awful time when she'd been trapped in the air-vent and the dragon had gone missing, one of the robots had tried to get her out, to kill her, and she'd been so terrified. Sometimes she had nightmares of the fact that she was essentially surrounded by enemies on that ship, with only one person to keep her safe. She hated feeling so helpless, and in honestly made her miserable to think that one day the dragon might not be there to save her, that she was at the mercy of others.

But then again, she thought of how of all the times she'd felt utterly miserable in the home she'd lived in, so what was the difference there? At least now, she had _someone_ who obviously cared for her, and wanted to keep her safe and happy. Just like Mom.

Miya's eyes squeezed shut, biting her lip to force against the pain. She'd now never see Mom again, she knew that. She clenched her fist around the dragon-head necklace, and she could almost feel the phantom touch of her mother's fingers brushing her cheek. But the girl pushed aside her tears, for she didn't want to think about that now. It hurt too much. So she went back to her task and carried on walking.

She broke through the trees, keeping to the shadows, when she saw that at the bottom of the hill was a playground, with lots of families there as children of different ages played together on the equipment. Miya wondered if it was a weekend, or a school holiday, for she'd lost track of time. The way it was getting colder but the leaves were still on the trees told her that it was probably autumn, so that meant school was still in. So that meant it must be a weekend. For a moment she watched the children playing, a little spike of envy coursing through the thirteen-year-old as she wanted to be as carefree as to play on the swings or the roundabout with other kids. And she watched the mothers who sat together with their friends and talked and laughed whilst also keeping an eye on their children. The girl sighed. She'd never have that life again. She'd known that for a long time.

So, sticking to the shadows and summoning on her remarkable talent of being unnoticeable, Miya pulled up her hood to help hide her face as she walked towards the road, where a small store was across the street. It wasn't exactly a talent, to not be noticed, it just took practise. Miya simply put on the persona that she was just another teenager, nothing wrong with that and nothing amiss as she walked as if nothing were the matter. Though she did keep her head lowered, even if her eyes were looking about at the adults who went past her as if she were invisible.

But then, as she came up to the store, her eyes wondered and caught on the familiar colours of a police car as it cruised down the street, completely unsuspecting of anything. Most people would be reassured by the uniform look of the car, or the unassuming, kindly faces of the middle-aged men in the front two seats. But Miya only felt a bolt of cold in her stomach, her breathing quickly becoming shallow as her heart fluttered in panic. A few months ago, she would've simply carried on walking and not made anything to draw attention to herself. But she was out of practise with that mind-set, what with being held prisoner with a robot dragon for the past six or seven weeks. So in a panic, she turned on her heel away from the store she had been about to steal from and quickly began walking in the opposite direction of the car, holding herself back in order to stop herself from running.

But in so doing such a sudden movement, Miya had accidentally drawn attention to herself, the very last thing she wanted to do. The two cops noticed the youth that clearly avoided them and was speed-walking as far from the car as possible. They would've paid her no attention, until they noticed her tattered and dirty clothes and slightly skinny frame. The two looked at each other, and silently decided to follow her. One was a father and the other a beloved uncle, so they only felt a paternal need to make sure the distressed looking girl was alright. They meant only to stop her to ask her if she needed any help, perhaps they might even take her to a diner so she might get a proper meal, or even take her to a shelter.

Yet Miya had no way of knowing this, and she heard the police-car come close and pull up beside her, she instantly felt that fluttering panic as her heart threatened to break out of her chest. Her fight or flight instincts kicked in, and the girl couldn't think rationally, and in a spur of the moment, Miya did the stupidest thing she could (one which she would kick herself for later), and ran.

This was what made the cops instantly suspicious of her as they gave chase in their car, turning on their sirens. The sound made the girl run twice as fast in her rising hysteria, and she tried to dodge around a slowing car at a junction in an attempt to lose her pursuers. The car honked its horn at her but the police car didn't even slow as it turned the corner with her and quickly came ahead of her. Miya screamed when it swerved in front of her, cutting off her root, and the cop in the passenger seat quickly jumped out.

Miya tried to run the other way, using all the techniques she'd learned from the dragon to try and keep herself out of arms reach. And she even succeeded as the cop grunted in surprise when she swerved around him and evaded him – only to run straight into the other policeman as he got out of the car.

Strong arms wrapped around Miya, restraining her as she kicked and wriggled and struggled and screeched indignantly. The panic made her act irrationally – she couldn't get caught again! She couldn't! Desperately she looked up at the sky, praying for the familiar sight of the dragon to come swooping down to her rescue, but with a sinking heart, she saw nothing.

"Come now, that's enough." The cop that held her tried to say sternly but gently. Miya's struggles soon lessened as panicked heaves escaped her, tear prickling her eyes. "We're not gonna hurt ya. Calm down."

"I haven't done anything!" Miya protested as she gave one final heave to try to struggle out of the man's grip, but with no success.

"Kids don't run if they've got nothing to hide." said the second cop, looking a little younger than the one who held her by a few years. He looked at his partner. "Shall we run her in the database? See what we can?"

"Might as well." Said the first. Miya shook her head pleadingly, but was ignored.

They tried to put her in the back of the car, but as soon as their grip slackened, she tried to break free again. Both cops only just managed to catch her in time before she broke away completely, and cursing they decided to handcuff her. At least they didn't put her arms in that terribly uncomfortable position behind her back; they took pity on her it seemed, handcuffing her wrists together in front of her. They then pushed her in the back of the car, and climbed into the front, looking to the little computer on the dash.

They asked for her name, but Miya knew how to play the game, and so kept silent to whatever they asked, only keeping her wide and fearful eyes on the window as she almost begged for the winged shadow to appear in the sky. Why had she wandered so far away? Why hadn't she waited? Would he come in time? She hoped her dragon-friend would come looking for her soon, for she couldn't bear to think of what awaited her if he didn't.

When Miya wouldn't say anything, the policemen instead ran her description into the database. Miya hoped that there were enough young girls with auburn hair and green eyes that were in trouble with the law in order to make it difficult for them to find out who she was. But there was no such luck. Only two names appeared on the screen. One was a Latino girl several years older than Miya. The second name showed a picture of her. Miya knew what they would find and hung her head in despair.

"Well, Miss Carter," said the cop in the passenger seat as he looked back at her with a disapproving shake of his head. "Seems you've been rather naughty."

"Please don't…" Miya begged, her big green eyes pleading.

"Sorry honey," said the other cop as he turned the ignition in the car. "But we gotta follow the rules. We'll take you into the station, get you processed. Then we're gonna need to return you."

"I don't wanna go back." She told them.

"We know," said the first policeman. "But you shouldn't've run away, you're too young. It's not perfect but at least the system helps until you're all grown up."

"You don't understand," she tried to say but they wouldn't listen.

"Sorry honey," said the driver again. "This is how the system works."

* * *

Predaking came back to awareness slowly as his processor came back online. He was immediately aware of his scanners telling him that the storm above was worsening, and it would now only be a matter of time before the heavens opened. The second thing he was aware of was that he was alone. Miya was not beside him, and he growled irritably. The girl had obviously gone without him in order to get the things she needed, and he knew he was going to really scold her for this later. She needed to learn that she was just a sparkling, and she needed an adult to keep watch over her.

But he could do nothing about it now. He knew that Miya would return to him, and that if he moved he might pass her on her way back and make everything difficult. And so he irritably growled to himself and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

As time dragged on, Predaking felt a deep worry and paranoia set into him. What if Miya wasn't coming back? Had she run away from him when his guard was down? No. His spark refused to believe such a thing. He half remembered Miya saying that she would come back, and he believed her. So where was she? What if something had happened to her? The worry this caused in his spark was almost painful, and he whined loudly as he looked about earnestly for any sign of his human coming through the trees. But nothing.

He waited a few more minutes, but could take it no longer. So, setting his scanners, he looked about for Miya's bio-signature, one that he had come to know extremely well and could map out from memory. He saw her trail leading through the trees towards the human settlement, and quietly crept through the trees as he came out of the meadow and over the hill. From a distance, undetected by the organics, he spotted the human play-field where their offspring played on various structures and pieces of equipment. Quickly scanning them, he knew that none of these children were Miya.

With dark quickly setting in and the worsening weather, the females began to call out to their children. Predaking found it odd how humans used vocalisations of designations in order to summon their offspring, instead of signalling them through comm. links or other useful pieces of technology that cybertronians used daily. Predaking even saw a younger child fall roughly on the cement floor, scraping its knee and crying pathetically. The mother of the child quickly came to it, and he was a little curious as to how her soothing voice stilled the whining child, soothing it.

But focusing back on his task, Predaking realised he would need to take to the air, as even with the streets emptying in preparation for the coming storm, there was still too much activity, and he would be spotted. So he backtracked to the meadow and took to the air from there, gaining altitude before coming back over the town from a safe height. With his enhanced vision and scanners, he tried to find Miya in each form in the town, and his gnawing worry grew as each face came up with a negative. Miya's bio-signature had gone cold in the town, and that only added to the predacon's growing distress in his spark. His tanks were churning and his mandibles were twitching as a nervous growl was constantly made in his throat.

Growing desperate, Predaking circled above the town, so high no one would be able to distinguish what he was even if they looked up, as he mentally sent out a signal into the local human communications. Using his comm. link and his connection to the human internet, he tried to intercept the human radio waves. Human technology was so primitive in many ways that it was easy to interfere with wirelessly, and he quickly shuffled through channel after channel in his search for anything that could be related to Miya. It was a desperate hope that he would find anything this way, but he had little choice, and was willing to do anything to get his sparkling back.

And then, quite by accident, he found something.

 _'…bringing her in.'_ came a transmission from a local authority radio. ' _A Miss Carter. I'll run the description again: Caucasian female, roughly thirteen years old, brown-red hair colour, green eyes.'_

 _'Copy that.'_ Came the reply. ' _We'll be waiting for you. Be sure to take old frogpond-road on your way back. Danver Street's closed with roadworks.'_

 _'Alright then, see you in 5.'_ And the transmission ended.

It wasn't much, but the girl they were talking about fit Miya's description. So, taking it as his only lead, Predaking brought up local maps in order to find the route that the policecar would take. He found the frog-pond road that they'd spoken of: a winding long road that led out beside the woods and the middle of farm fields in a roundabout way of getting to the police station on the other side of town without any traffic.

Knowing this was his only chance, with a growl, Predaking quickly set off after them.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review!**


	15. Predacon's Hostage

**Author's Note: So sorry for the long absence! But hopefully, this chapter will earn me a little forgiveness?**

 **I thought it would be nice to give you guys something right before Christmas :) I hope you are all having fabulous holidays this time of year, and I hope Father Christmas/Saint Nick/Santa Clause gives everyone lots of goodies! ;) So, here is a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from me to you!**

* * *

Predacon's Hostage:

It didn't take him long to find the car belonging to the authorities that had signalled the radio transmission. But by that time, the darkness had claimed the world and he could move more easily without fear of being seen. Predaking watched from a high ridge above the winding road to see the car snaking its way down through the environment. His scanners could detect three life-forms inside the vehicle, and he knew that this was perhaps his best chance at finding Miya. But he was presented with a problem.

By his calculations, any course of action he took, would end with very bad results. If he jumped down onto the road, the drivers would crash into him and Miya would more than likely be hurt. If he jumped onto the road and gave the drivers plenty of time to see him, they would swerve and come off of the road and Miya could be hurt. If he tried to pin the car or stop it forcefully in his current form, he would more than likely crush the car – and in that case, Miya would _definitely_ be killed. Despite everything, he couldn't think of a safe way to get Miya back, and the thought of losing her made his spark began to short-circuit with distress.

He was torn. He'd never felt so helpless, as if he were prey, and it frustrated and froze him to the spot. The only options seemed to be to stop the car forcefully and likely kill Miya in the process, or do nothing and watch the authorities take her away. It felt as if his spark was having a seizure of some kind, such anguish filling him to the brim until he wanted to howl in despair. Yet at the same time, he felt unrivalled anger at his own weakness, a fury that made his energon boil and his structure shake from the force of it.

And then, all of a sudden, his plates began to shift. Fuelled by his rage, they moved of their own accord, and Predaking felt himself twisting and folding, slowly, painfully, into a shape that was not his own. His processor panicked, for he knew what was happening, as he had seen the other Decepticons on the Nemesis change their forms. But he had not known he could do this, he had wondered and speculated, yes, but never thought this was possible.

Finally, the shifting stopped, and he found himself kneeling upon the ground. It took his processor a moment to adjust to this new development and function correctly. With wide optics he marvelled at his now new hands, his long arms, his huge spiked shoulders, and felt for his knew horned helm. He was amazed.

But he was brought back to the present when a flash caught his optics from the passing car on the road below and he was reminded of the situation at hand. Without a second thought, he leapt down from the ridge towards the road. He landed heavily, stumbling and almost falling to his knees as his body awkwardly absorbed the impact. If he had been in his true mode, then he would've made the landing easily. He would need to get used to this new form.

He heard a honked horn and a screech of tires as the car tried to break to avoid hitting him and swerve in order to not collide with him. Battle instincts ready, he simply plucked the car off of the road in his hands as it tried to pass him. He heard the occupants inside screaming in shock and fear, and he placed the car back down on the ground, though one hand held it firmly in place. He dug the sharp servos on one hand to rip the roof off of the car and wrench it apart so that he could look inside.

Instantly, the two human male adults screamed as they saw him and started shooting at him. Their bullets did not harm him, but they were an annoyance. Predaking growled at them, his fury towards them already murderous for daring to try and take away his sparkling from him. In the midst of the chaos, Miya scrambled to unbuckle her seatbelt and launched herself out of the car and ran into the brush at the side of the road. With Miya safely out of the way, Predaking looked down at the two humans and smashed the back of his hand into the vehicle, sending it careening away before it hit the road barrier. He didn't care if the occupants inside survived or not. It mattered little to him. He simply turned his attention to the direction that Miya had fled in, and went after her.

Her trail was rather obvious this time, and with his large strides he easily caught up to her. He found the girl hiding in the tunnel of an old abandoned bridge. It was a space too small for him to reach in to retrieve her, and the structure too unstable for him to rip it apart without crushing her in the process. His scanners detected that her heart rate was greatly increased, and her chemical imbalance suggested that she was afraid, terrified in fact.

"Another decepticon!" Miya hissed to herself in a whisper. "Dragon, where are you?!"

Predaking understood then that Miya didn't know that it was him who had come to rescue her. Of course, she didn't know he could change forms, she believed a Decepticon was out to kill her. Whilst he would've praised her for keeping herself alive by avoiding him like she was, it was another matter now that he was trying to get her out.

How would he convince her that it was him? He tried transforming back, but didn't know how to restart the process. And besides, would seeing him transform frighten her? He then tried to make his usually gruff noises his beast-mode usually used in order to gain her attention, but the sounds were too different in this form, as his vocal cylinders had also transformed in order to work different to suit this form. So what was he to do?

He then remembered when he had seen the humans at the park, the mothers had called to their offspring by using their names. They used words. Could he do the same? Well, he had already transformed as the other cybertronians seemed capable of doing, perhaps he could speak as they did as well.

"Mmmm… miiii…" he struggled to pronounce the strange words. His processor wanted him to automatically speak in cybertronian, and his desire to speak English made it do several calibrations in order to give him the sounds he needed. "Mi… ya… Miya… Miya…"

The girl under the bridge gasped softly, and his scanners saw her stiffen.

He stepped back from the bridge and bent to one knee, also stooping low so that his optics could peer into the tunnel and make eye-contact with Miya. The girl stared at him with wide but wary eyes.

"Miya," he said again, softly, slowly offering his enormous hand in her direction, trying to coax her out by being as non-threatening as possible. "It… is me… Your predacon… Predaking." He couldn't resist telling her his name with obvious pride.

Miya's little green eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock. She stared at him for what felt like an eternity, still unsure. But then, she looked into his optics, searching his gaze for something, _anything_ , familiar. He met her stare equally, and as her organic eyes met his robotic optics, green meeting yellow, it must have been the one thing she recognised. Her wariness melted away, to be met with wonder.

Scrambling out from under the bridge, Miya ran towards him. Predaking beamed to see that she recognised him, even in this form. To see her finally returned to him instantly settled all of the anxiety that had been building in his spark for the past few hours, and he felt right within himself once more.

She paused when she was before him, but Predaking offered an encouraging smile, and slowly offered her his hand. She looked at the sharp servos cautiously, but it only lasted a moment, before she stepped onto it. He lifted her into the air and brought her before his face so that he could get a good look at her. To his relief, she seemed unhurt. She looked over every inch of his face, taking it all in with a face full of curiosity and awe.

But then, she did something that he was certainly not expecting. She leaned forward, almost falling out of his hand, and braced herself against his chest, unknowingly right above his spark chamber. Predaking froze, not sure what to make of this, until his processor catalogued and realised that her movement was called a 'hug' or 'embrace', meant as a sign of affection towards another being. And despite himself, Predaking felt a smile tug at his face as he leant into her touch, a servo of his free hand coming up to gently stroke the girl's back.

"You came for me!" she whispered with fierce relief in her voice.

"Of course I would." The words were coming easier to him now. He recognised that his voice was deep, rumbling like the growl of his beast form, yet articulated and sophisticated. He liked it.

But then, a sudden light burst over them as something cleared over the trees behind them with a roar of wind and the cacophony of fast rotating blades. Instinctively covering Miya with his other hand, Predaking looked up with bared teeth to see a human helicopter hovering over them, a second and third one coming into view. They bore the colours of the human authorities. Ah, so at least one of the two occupants in the car had survived to call for help.

The nearest helicopter suddenly gave a burst of gunfire as it turned to expose its side where someone was shooting a heavy gun in his direction. Miya screamed at the roar of the gun as bullet rained around them, and Predaking hunched over her to try and protect her from the gunfire. With each strike of the bullets against his armoured back, Predaking felt his fury mount inside of him like the burning fires in his generator. How he wished he had the ability to breath fire in this form, or even have the use of his wings or tail, for her could then strike down these pests easily!

As if responding to his wishes, Predaking felt the hand that was holding Miya begin to shift again. Suddenly his hand had morphed into a form of firearm, the tip whining loudly to signal that it was ready to fire. Smirking to himself, Predaking swivelled around in one motion and aimed at the nearest aircraft. With a twitch, he fired. A blast of his concentrated fire shot into the air and exploded into the helicopter blowing it apart in one shot. The pieces fell to the earth with a great ' _BOOM_ ' and a mushroom-cloud of smoke.

The other two helicopters unleashed their bullets also, but Predaking was already on his feet and running. He fled through the fields, holding Miya against his chest as he sought to get her away from this danger and whisk her to safety. But the helicopters followed him, hounding his every step and continuing to fire their weapons at him. Once again, he felt his anger grow until his processor seemed to recognise an activation sequence in his hard-drive. He chose it.

Before he could think of what he was doing, as the plates over his chest shifted, Predaking stuffed Miya into his spark-chamber, and then transformed himself around her. The transformation this time went much faster and smoother than before, until he was in his beloved and familiar dragon-shape once more, with Miya tucked inside his spark-chamber, safe and out of sight.

Thrusting himself into the air, he immediately flew at the last two helicopters, who both came to a halt and tried to swerve and avoid the suddenly airborne, massive dragon that came bearing down upon them. Predaking did not use his fire, fearing that the heat inside of him might cook Miya alive. So instead he smashed his tail into one of the helicopters, breaking it into a thousand pieces in one swing. Before he then clamped his jaws onto the tail of the last one, the blades of the helicopter breaking when they came into contact with his horns. He threw the helicopter towards the ground and watched it burst into flames when it did so.

He hovered there in the air for a moment, allowing the thrill of the hunt to leave his system before he turned his attention to more important matters. His scanners indicated that Miya was unharmed inside his spark-chamber, though knew that she wouldn't be comfortable there if she stayed in there for very long. He looked about at the black sky, sensing the electricity in the air. The storm was almost about to break over their heads, for already he could feel the patter of the rain against him.

Deciding to keep Miya inside his spark-chamber where she was protected, warm and dry for now, Predaking made his way back in the direction of the far off Nemesis.

"Is it over?" he heard Miya ask him from beside his spark.

 _Yes_ , he thought, and heard her gasp when the words reverberated inside his spark chamber. He himself was surprised by this, but was excited by it at the same time. But he dispelled such excitement, and instead allowed his voice to grow soft and soothing. _We're going home._


	16. Predacon's Rescuer

Predacon's Rescuer

* * *

"Prime."

The Autobots turned at the sound of their human liaison calling for their leader. Calmly, Optimus walked over to the balcony overlooking the majority of Hangar E. The middle-aged, middle-weight human male looked up at him, his face creased in simmering frustration.

"Agent Fowler," the Prime intoned softly. "What is it?"

"I just got a phonecall from the CIA," Fowler said. "Apparently a little county town cop car was attacked by a Decepticon."

"Maybe the cops saw something they weren't supposed to see?" Smokescreen suggested with a shrug.

"I don't know." Fowler shook his head, before he looked at the alien robots with something close to weariness. "What I do know is that the 'con made off with a kid."

Ratchet frowned. "A human child? Whatever for?"

"Don't know. The cops were bringing her in for questioning when they were attacked." Fowler shrugged.

"Maybe _she_ saw something she wasn't supposed to?" Smokescreen added. Bulkhead sighed.

"The county police sent out three choppers to deal with the problem." Fowler looked at the floor, the seriousness on his face told the Autobots the bad news even before he said it. "There were no survivors."

Optimus was silent for several moments. "I see… Thank you for informing us of this, Agent Fowler."

The special agent nodded, before turning away and heading back into his office. No doubt he had the families of the deceased to inform as well as clean up any collateral damage. The Autobots watched him go. When the door closed, Optimus turned away to look at his fellow comrades.

"Could the 'cons have gotten another member?" Bulkhead asked.

" _Beep-beep, bop-deep-boop-whirr."_ Bumblebee slumped as his computerised voice chirped sadly.

"I know Bumblebee… I can't imagine that organic is still alive. The Decepticons are not known for their mercy…" Ratchet sighed.

The bright blue optics of Optimus became hard, though his spark grew heavy with a sense of foreboding. "This bodes ill for us all…"

* * *

Starscream and Knockout were trembling in their frames as their stalked down the many long and dark corridors of the Nemesis. They were both actually beginning to wonder who designed the warship to be so dark and atmospheric. Usually they wouldn't mind, but in their current situation it was downright creepy!

Thanks to an error in calculation on their part, as well Starscream's ever increasing ego, the two had experimented on their captive cyborg: Cylas. Starscream had gotten it into his head to try and create the perfect super-soldier that would trump project predacon. So he had ordered Knockout to experiment with synthetic and dark energon. Both strands of the vital energy-giving substance were lethal in their own right, but when combined, Starscream had hoped to create a super-strong bot who's mind could be easily controlled by the dark-energon master, Megatron.

What they created however, was a Terrorcon, a robotic zombie-vampire, to put it simply. Cylas was suddenly an unstoppable plague-bringer, constantly thirsting for the energon inside other cybertronians, and infecting all those he consumed with his curse. It hadn't taken long for an infestation to begin aboard the Nemesis. It had only been a few hours, but now it would seem they were in a crisis.

Eventually, Megatron learned of the problem, and it would have been an understatement to say that he was angry. The Lord of the Decepticons had initiated a ship-wide high-alert, and slowly their forces were culling the infected fallen. But Megatron had also instructed Starscream and Knockout to clear up their mess, and find Cylas.

And so here they were, walking down the creepy corridors, weapons at the ready, jumping at every shadow, and their oils almost leaking out in fear.

Knockout was the first to break the heavy silence. "I realise Lord Megatron's only doing this to punish us, but how are _we_ the best choice to hunt down Cylas?" he complained. "I mean, why not deploy his beloved beast machine super-soldier, hmm? After all, it _is_ supposed to be the ultimate hunter."

"Out of the question!" Starscream snapped as he rounded on his partner-in-crime. "Can you imagine if the predacon became infected?! Nothing could stop it!"

The seeker couldn't help his frame from shaking in fear at the very thought of a terracon made out of a predacon. He knew that the day that happened would be the end of days. Especially _the_ predacon that hated him the most!

"And besides," he grumbled. "The beast has been absent from the warship since earlier during the solar cycle. It decided to take its pet for a walk."

They were then silent as they continued their trek through the silent warship. Investigating every room and nook and cranny they came across, they quickly found themselves outside of the vault. With his cannons charged and ready for instant fire, Starscream peaked in first, and gasped when he and then Knockout saw the body of Cylas lying cold and silent on the floor.

"Our ordeal is finally over!" Starscream beamed.

"Or not…" Knockout murmured.

Starscream looked over at the medic in confusion. But the red bot merely pointed his servo to behind them. Turning, Starscream's optics widened when he saw what Knockout had pointed to. One of the containers in the vault had been smashed open, and cryo pod had been destroyed. There was only one being who had been inside that pod.

Arachnid. The Insecticon Queen.

"Scrap!" Starscream sagged. His day couldn't get any worse.

 _"Starscream!"_ came Lord Megatron's voice over the comm. _"Have you made contact with the plague-bringer?"_

Obviously it could.

"Actually, my liege, I have good news…" Starscream tried to keep the tremble out of his voice. "And… bad news."

* * *

The storm was growing worse, the electricity was sparking through the air in great bolts of light that flashed across the sky. The rain was driving down into Predaking as he flew higher into the sky, the dark shadow of the Nemesis almost hidden within the black clouds. But thrusting his wings, he powered through, until he came to the upper-hull. Landing heavily, Predaking took a moment to find the code in his processor that would initiate the transformation, and did so.

Miya was almost thrown out of his spark-chamber, and he quickly caught her in his servos, holding her gently. The girl looked around, bleary eyed as she took a moment to recognise her surroundings. Within seconds the rain soaked her, and only then did Predaking remember that humans were susceptible to the cold weather, and so held one hand over her in an attempt to shield her from the rain. Miya smiled out at him, and he smiled back.

But then he felt his sensors begin to warn him. Something was amiss. There was no activity on the Nemesis, and Predaking couldn't hear a single sound, not even that of the main thrusters, as if the war-ship were simply drifting through the sky on standby. Now that he thought about it, although he hadn't been thinking about it at the time, Predaking couldn't remember anyone hailing him to return to the ship all day, even though he had been gone a few hours.

"Something isn't right…" he murmured for Miya's benefit, though he wondered if she could hear him above the storm.

Every program in his processor was telling him to be ready for a fight, and so slowly, Predaking placed Miya on the slippery surface of the hull. She took a moment to gain her balance on shaky legs, but managed. Predaking transformed into his larger dragon-shape, twisting his head from left to right as he let his scanners try to detect what felt so wrong in the very air around him.

"This… doesn't feel safe…" Miya murmured, either because she could sense the tension in her predacon guardian, or it was from her own intuition. In either case, Predaking felt a little surer of the fact that it wasn't just him that was able to sense this.

At first he heard a faint noise, the thrumming of large and loud wings in rapid succession, and many of them. It took him a second to recognise the sound as that of the Insecticons flying, but what were they doing flying around inside the ship? His optics fixed on the door leading into the ship, Predaking tuned his audio receptors to pick up the sound more clearly.

And then he heard a voice:

"Loyal servants," said the voice of a femme cybertronian that Predaking did not recognise. "The time is now. Lay waste to all Decepticons! Leave no trace of them in your wake!"

Predaking didn't know who this was, nor did he care. It was quite obvious the speaker was a threat, as she had already stated her intention to become the enemy of the Decepticons. He would be sure to end her.

The doors onto the upper-hull flew open, and out stormed an Insecticon, throwing a dead vehicon to the floor as it charged out. Miya shrieked in fear and ran to hide behind Predaking's leg. The predacon couldn't help but feel slightly proud that she looked to him for safety. A second one joined the first, both in their insect-modes. They didn't even hesitate as they fixed their crimson optics on the growling Predaking, before charging.

Predaking leapt at them, swiping his claws at one and smashing it into the side of the deck, dazing it. But the other one was faster and tried to smash into him with its huge horn on its head. Predaking was sent screeching backwards with a flurry of sparks though the horns didn't penetrate his armour. He realised instantly that these threats would not be as easily dealt with like the Vehicons or even regular cybertronians. He would need greater cunning and brute force to vanquish these. And he had it in spades.

Twisting in place, he spun them both around so that it was _he_ who was pushing the Insecticon as he slammed it into the side of the deck. Placing his claws on its head, Predaking repeatedly pushed its head into the deck, increasing his force with each strike. He heard metal crunching, and felt the struggles of the insect grow weaker and weaker.

He heard a shout, and snapped his head around to see Miya running across the deck, the second Insecticon that he had momentarily forgotten about pursuing her. Predaking felt his spark seize with fear, and he was about to leap to her side, forgetting his current kill all together, when Miya suddenly stopped in her tracks beside one of the smaller thrusters. He wanted to shout at her to move as the Insecticon charged at her, aiming to crush her with its horn. But at the last moment, Miya jumped out of the way, and unable to correct its course, the Insecticon fell into the thruster itself and was instantly terminated.

Predaking could've beamed with pride as Miya turned back to grin at him.

"Queen Arachnid! Help me!"

Hearing the groan beneath him, Predaking snapped his head back to his current kill, and ended the pathetic creature's life as he sank his mandibles into its artery-cables in the neck. With a violent twist of his head, he ripped the cable in half, and precious life giving energon spilled onto the floor.

With that now done, Predaking turned away from the corpse and strode towards Miya, a rumble from his chest filling the air as he flared his mandibles at her in obvious pride. The girl was soaking in the rain, and slightly shivering, but she was still smiling up at him with triumph as she stepped closer to him.

But their moment was interrupted when they heard others approaching through the doors to the ship.

Miya gasped in fear, and Predaking watched nervously as he saw what appeared to be the bulk of the Insecticon hive about to pour forth out of the ship. Leading them was a creature that Predaking had never seen before. It was a femme, but she was not a normal cybertronian like the others aboard the warship. She wasn't a predacon either, for her beast mode more resembled a spider. Which made Predaking take the step to the logical conclusion that she was an Insecticon. Considering the fact that she wasn't like the others, he wondered if she was their Queen, like with organic insect species, with her workers being the regular brute Insecticons Megatron employed in his army.

If that was the case, then this must be the 'Queen Arachnid' that the Insecticon had called to.

The Insecticon Queen halted her army before they could even make it out of the door, her purple optics widening as she stared at Predaking. At first it was in awe, but the predacon recognised it when her eyes changed and he saw the look of a fellow hunter as she surveyed him. He growled at her loudly.

"A predacon…" she said, her voice matching the one that Predaking had overheard earlier. "One of Shockwave's little test subjects no doubt… my, my, what a magnificent specimen you are."

Her gaze shifted to the dead Insecticon behind him, and Predaking enjoyed the slight look of fear in her optics. However, he didn't like the way she looked back at him, as if he were her next meal, and he growled louder at her in warning.

"I shall enjoy taking you for another trophy to add to my collection." She smirked. "Insecticons, attack!"

Quickly shifting the plates on his chest, Predaking met the horde of the Insecticon hive that rushed towards him by unleashing the flames within his generator. Arachnid screeched as she dove out of the way, and her soldiers screamed as they were melted alive by the intensity of the flames. Several died instantly. But those behind were shielded by the quickly combusting-corpses of those in front, and the Insecticon soldiers flew into the air to go around the flames.

One smashed into him at full charge, and Predaking roared as he was almost sent flipping over backwards. He refused to budge an inch, for he knew that he needed to keep himself between these traitors and Miya. With his full strength, Predaking swung his paw, taking the Insecticon's head clean from its shoulders, even as another came at him. He only just managed to deflect it in time with a swipe of his tail.

There were too many, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep them off forever without the freedom to move about. With a sweep of his head, Predaking plucked Miya up in his teeth, before stuffing her into a small compartment at the side of the deck. He'd only just let go of her as she slid in her new refuge, when two Insecticons in their cybertronian-like forms charged into him and sent them all crashing to the side.

They rolled, Predaking rolling with them, twisting and turning as code would suggest would've been done when tussling. Controlling the roll, Predaking stopped them with himself on top, pinning the two Insecticons beneath his claws. With all of his strength, he clenched his claws around the robust creatures, the strong metal not bending easily to his force. But he was determined, and so crushed their very sparks.

He flinched as he felt shots being fired at him. Other Insecticons were in their bug modes, flying towards him as they shot at him from cannons in their horns. But his plating was strong, and he only merely winced at the blasts. But the continuous sting of the shots running up his neck towards his face was enough to irritate him. With a roar, he summoned his flames, and just as he had done in the cave with the autobots, he twisted his head in various directions, making the deadly fire dance as it streamed into the path of his enemies.

It gave him the chance he needed, as he sprang for the side of the deck, bunching his legs against it, and propelling himself off of it as he slammed into his next target. Clamping his jaws around his prey, he shook it before blasting it with fire, virtually making it explode in half. He thrashed his tail into the next one, and jumped for another, the glory of battle in his cables, a primeval song that couldn't be denied, like an ancient part of himself awakening. With jaws spread wide, he lunged to tear off the head of –

Something was suddenly shot at his face, and Predaking recoiled as he felt it stick to his mouth and clamp his jaws shut, pinning his mandibles to his face. The predacon gave a muffled roar as he staggered back, whipping his head back and forth, clawing at his face to try and get the sticky substance off. But he wasn't given any quarter, as three Insecticons at once took advantage of his distraction and leapt at him.

He still had the use of his tail and claws, and whilst the insecticons tried to pull him apart, he rolled over and kicked at them. They flew back. As he tried to roll to his feet, another sticky web was shot at him, this time pinning his foreleg to the floor. Snapping his head to where the shot had come from, Predaking saw Arachnid, her hands outstretched towards him, a smirk on her face. He growled and lunged towards her –

The Insecticons fell on him in force, trying to cover every inch of his body, no matter how many times he kicked them, clawed them, or swiped at them. He felt them bite into him, pull at him, felt slight wounds begin to open all along his body. It was suddenly getting very hard to continue the fight.

Miya watched from the shadows in horror, unable to watch as her guardian and friend became overwhelmed by the bug-like robots. So without thinking, she charged out of her hiding place, running towards the door leading into the ship. Her heart was racing, her breathing erratic. She could hear the screech of metal, the chitter of the demonic bugs and the growls of her dragon. It set panic coursing through her veins.

She reached the bottom of the now closed door, but noticed that the button she needed to press was too high with one of the bodies of the normal robots slumped beneath it. Glancing back over at the dragon being swarmed, she fidgeted in alarm. She hurriedly began to climb up the dead body of the robot, her sneakers slipping on the smooth metal as she scrabbled for purchase. Once she was standing precariously on top of the head, she stretched towards the button on her tiptoes, eyes widening as she tried to force herself to reach. Her fingers brushed the smooth-cold surface, and she slammed her hand down on it.

"Help!" she shouted into it, hoping that _someone_ was listening and would come. She looked over her shoulder, eyes widening when she saw her dragon moan as his head drooped to the floor. She turned back to the button and all but screamed into it: "Help – please! Somebody! They're gonna kill him! She's gonna kill him!"

Suddenly her perch jolted and Miya screeched as she tumbled and fell to the floor. Fortunately, she bumped her way down the dead-robot, thus breaking her fall. _Unfortunately_ , it still hurt like hell. She struggled to breathe as she lay on the floor, winded, as she looked around wide eyed as a spider-like robot-woman towered over her, grinning her pearly fangs. Miya felt her fear seize her heart as she gaped.

"Are you lost, little human?" Arachnid cooed with a sadistic smile, leaning down towards the frightened girl. "Because you've found yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Miya found her breath in time to scream: "HELP!"

Optics blinking open against the pain that surrounded him, Predaking was drawn into the world of the living by the sound of a piercing scream. His gaze focused on Miya as she lay huddled on the ground, Arachnid over her as she lifted a long, thin leg to crush her.

Despite the pain, despite the lack of energy, Predaking felt such a rage flow through him, it was enough to override all other programs and codes in his processor, until it was all he could comprehend. His frame shook, his generator summoned flame without his knowledge, so hot it hurt even him, his vision warping into a sea of red. He only had one desire: to kill. And it all came out with explosive force.

The fire burst out of his mouth, destroying the web that had glued his jaws shut. He roared, rearing up with such force and power that his captors were taken completely by surprise as he threw them off. Even with various wounds, Predaking leapt back into battle as he lunged at Arachnid.

The Insecticon Queen spun to face him with wide optics, jumping away from him as his teeth snapped at her. Standing over Miya protectively, Predaking launched into a series of furious attacks, each one Arachnid only barely managed to avoid. But Predaking only needed to be lucky once, for as Arachnid leapt one way, he spun around and hit her with his tail. She fell to the ground and he pinned her beneath his claw.

"I will have your energon!" Arachnid hissed, her voice slightly distorted. Her mouth opened and a fanged-tongue poked out to try and nip at the predacon. He flinched away, his alarms blaring inside his processor as he suddenly felt something dark and twisted poison the very air around him.

She leapt at him, but he swiped her out of the air as if she were little more than a fly. Clamping his teeth around one of her legs, he lifted her into the air and threw her across the deck. The Insecticon Queen bounced and rolled, before coming to a stop beside her growling and recovered soldiers. She stood, fury in her eyes as she glared at the predacon.

"Insecticons!" She shouted. "Destroy th–"

Suddenly, the doors behind Predaking opened. He spun to see what other threat could have come, but was surprised to see the silent communications and intelligence officer, Megatron's third in command. As the silent, faceless cybertronian stepped around the predacon to calmly face down Arachnid, her eyes widened, before narrowing with utter hatred.

"Soundwave!" she snarled. "I vow that on this day, the world will hear the sound of your screams!"

And she charged, her Insecticons following behind her. Soundwave did nothing. Predaking prepared himself once more for battle, but was beaten to it.

Soundwave did not move, did not even twitch a servo. He simply stared at the approaching Arachnid, only a few clicks and beeps coming from his on-board computer. And then, just as Arachnid and her army were upon them, a space-bridge snapped open between them and she fell inside, all of her dumb brutes blindly following in after her. The portal snapped closed.

They were gone. It was over.

Soundwave made no other noise, he simply turned around and began to walk back into the ship.

"Wait!" came Miya's voice.

Predaking was alarmed when she bolted out from underneath him and ran _to_ the Decepticon. Before he could snatch her back, she was at Soundwave's ankle, and placed her hand on his metal. Soundwave froze and turned without a single noise as he stared down at the human. The soaking, shaking, shocked girl stared up at him unflinchingly.

"Thank you," she said.

Soundwave did not acknowledge her in any way. He merely stared at her, before turning away and walking back into the ship.

Predaking gently settled himself around Miya, feeling extremely tired now that the fight was over. He curled around the girl, sheltering her with his body as they huddled beneath the slight roof by the door. Firing his generator, he kept the air around her toasty and warm as she huddled close beside him. In all honesty, Predaking felt as if he could slip into recharge for a year.

He purred, tucking Miya against him as he curled around her, settling his large head on the floor beside her. His optics closed as he thought he could just recharge… only for a few moments…

* * *

 **Author's Note: So this was a slight AU of the Episode "Thirst". I loved all the funny and suspenseful moments in this episode. Also the whole Predaking vs Insecticon is just my wishful thinking as a fan. Honestly, I would've LOVED to have seen Predaking beat nine-bells out of an Insecticon. But I hope you guys enjoyed this none the less!**

 **Until next time!**


	17. Predacon's Substitute

Predacon's Substitute:

* * *

They were eventually awoken and moved back into their pen. A containment protocol had been put in place for all the 'terricons' that had been roaming the ship. Apparently there had been a disease of some sort, though Predaking hadn't exactly known what kind. He had a hunch that it was something to do with the odd behaviour that Arachnid had displayed. He was therefore glad that he himself had not contracted it. But now the vermin were being culled, and Predaking and Miya were able to get back to their den.

The dragon had never been more grateful to go back to his cage, if only to let himself recharge some more. His systems were already doing their own quick repairs to the little injuries he'd sustained from his battle with the Insecticons. By the next solar cycle, he would have his next energon ration and would be back to normal. None of his wounds were serious enough to warrant medical attention, so he was certain of his speedy recovery.

Once the doors to the pen had closed behind them, Predaking let out a sigh through his vents as he laid down to slip into recharge again. Miya laid next to him, propped up against his side, kept warm by his generator. The night continued to hang over the world, the clouds outside, although calming, still blanketed the earth in darkness. Everything was as it should be. He relaxed.

But recharge didn't claim him so quickly this time. He laid there for perhaps an hour, the room silent around him, the dead of night holding the world completely still in its grasp. Yet it was in this stillness that Predaking heard a little voice: Miya.

Perhaps she thought that he was in recharge, thinking herself alone enough to talk to herself. He didn't know why she would feel the need to, but could still hear her quiet voice. He peered at her from the corner of his optic, being sure that she didn't notice he was still awake. She was in the exact position as she had been an hour ago. Holding her little dragon-necklace, in her fingers, she was whispering to it. It was very odd behaviour, and so he listened curiously.

"So much stuff is going on," her voice was so quiet, like words formed around her soft breathing. "I don't know what to do. I wish you were here… I miss you, mom…"

And then, she began to cry. Fat, salty tears leaked out of her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She tried to keep her sobbing quiet, bowing her head and hiding her face in her hands. To anyone who didn't know any better, they would never think she was crying. But Predaking knew, he could hear her little sharp intakes of breath as she continued to weep. He felt panic at seeing her spontaneously cry. Like any father, he was worried for the health of his sparkling when he saw her so upset. He felt as if he needed to remind himself that Miya was still only a child, and no matter how adult she might act at times, she was still vulnerable. He needed to help her.

He checked to make sure that the room was free of surveillance equipment. Both with his optics and his scanners, he checked to see if there were any cameras or bugs to listen in. When he found none, he was relieved and quickly transformed. Miya was startled when he changed position and size, unseating her from where she'd been leaning again him. But the back of his servo quickly steadied her. She quickly wiped at her face to erase the evidence of her tears, even if her eyes were still puffy and her cheeks stained red.

"Miya, what I wrong?" he asked her quietly, his face creasing with evident worry.

"Nothing," she quickly blurted, turning her face away from him. He knew she was trying to brush the situation off, but he didn't want her to.

"You're weeping. Why?"

"No I'm not!"

"Miya, I am not a fool. My scanners can detect the salt that still lays on your skin. I heard what you said."

"You shouldn't eavesdrop. It's rude."

"Miya." His tone was still soft but was sterner this time.

The girl looked at the floor, and a sad look came over her face. Her lip trembled but she kept it together this time. "I just… I… I miss my mom."

Predaking knew that there was something hidden about this particular subject, he didn't need scanners to read her body language. She was silently begging him not to ask further. He wanted to know more, but knew he would get nowhere if he attempted to force it out of her. So he decided to leave it alone for now. Instead, his optics focused on the dragon-necklace she was still fiddling with like an instinctive act of comfort.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing a sharp servo at it. "Does it mean something special amongst your species?"

"What, this?" Miya frowned, looking down at the necklace in question. Already she seemed to have visibly relaxed due to the change in topic. "No. I mean, it's just a cheap trinket I got at an arcade."

"Arcade?"

"Um, it's a place full of games where you win prizes," she said. "My mom… she won it for me on one of the claw machines. Probably a dozen others in there just like it, even some cooler toys in there, but she managed to get this one."

She smiled wistfully. Predaking watched her with a frown of confusion. He couldn't understand how if this item that was so common and uninteresting as she described, then why did she treat it so reverently? It baffled him, and so he had to know more in an attempt to understand it.

"What is its purpose? Why did your carrier give this to you?" he asked persistently.

Miya rubbed the back of her neck, clearly uncomfortable. "I, I don't know… because I wanted it, I guess…"

"When did she give it to you?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it…" she mumbled.

She was reluctant. She either didn't trust him or the subject was too sensitive to share. For some reason, Predaking felt a little hurt because of this. He didn't know why, and it felt rather odd. But it was strange to think that Miya obviously missed the organic that had birthed her – what the humans called a 'mother'. He remembered the females that he had seen at the park with their offspring. There seemed to be a strong bond between a carrier and sparkling, and it would appear that Miya was no exception.

Predking wondered where Miya's mother was. Was she out there in the world somewhere, looking for her? Did Miya long to return to her. He felt his spark roar furiously at the thought of anyone trying to take Miya from him, it was an alien concept that had no place in his reality. In his optics, even if Miya's mother was out there somewhere, she had not been watching her offspring well enough. Predaking had found her by the side of the road walking alone in the middle of the night. No parent should allow their child to be in such a vulnerable situation.

He was angry at this mystery woman for neglecting his sparkling. But at the same time, he couldn't hate her, for she had created Miya, and Miya obviously still cared for her. But it hurt his spark to think that Miya loved another care-giver.

And that was when he realised the alien feeling in his processor: jealousy. He was jealous of the fact that this mother had such a hold over Miya. What if the girl wanted to return to her? He couldn't allow that! Miya should be happy with him now, he was caring for her, he was making sure she wanted for nothing, that she was safe, he was protecting her. She was _his_ sparkling now. Couldn't Miya see that?

He pondered the situation more, a servo coming up to tap against his chin. Miya obviously missed her mother, but the subject caused her a great deal of emotional pain. Had something happened, then? It seemed likely, but what?

"So… what are you?"

"What?" he was abruptly brought back to the present by Miya's unexpected question intended to fill the silence.

"You can talk now," she murmured, but he could tell she was a little excited. "I never thought I could ask you this stuff, but now I can. If… If that's okay, that is."

"Miya, do not be afraid," he said softly, offering her an encouraging smile. "You can ask me anything."

"Okay, so what are you?"

He expanded his chest with pride as he said, "I am a predacon, the mightiest race that has ever existed on Cybertron."

"Cybertron… is that where you're from?"

"Yes. It is a distant planet far from this world."

"So you _are_ aliens! I knew it!"

His smile widened at her enthusiasm. "Yes Miya, you are correct."

"So are all the others on this ship predacons?"

"No, they are other forms of cybertronians. I am the only predacon in existence."

Miya gaped. "So, you're the last one of your kind? That must be terrible."

"It is the only existence I have ever known. I was born in a tank, with no others of my kind living. I was brought to this world to hunt autobots."

"Who are the autobots?"

"Our enemies," he told her darkly. "We members of the decepticons fight them on this organic world in a war that has lasted long before my time."

"So why are the rest of you here? What do you aliens want?"

"We fight for the control of our home-planet."

"So the autobots are the bad guys?"

"They are." He then leaned towards her, a single servo reaching out to touch her back. "But do not worry, Miya. I will keep you far away from them."

Miya frowned in thought, looking at the floor. Something serious must have occurred to her, and Predaking waited patiently for her to speak. She slowly looked up at him, her eyes guarded as she studied him.

"Why did you kidnap me?" she asked quietly.

Predaking immediately stiffened. His good mood evaporated and he steeled his expression in order to be just as guarded as hers. For some reason, this subject set him off, and he didn't want to answer this line of conversation. Not only because he didn't want to explain to Miya all of the ever changing reasons for which he'd kept her, but also because he didn't like the way she said the word 'kidnap'. It was as if she were accusing him.

When he eventually spoke, his tone was hard and clipped. "I did not kidnap you."

"Yes, you did," she argued, brows knitting with quickly growing anger. "You took me from the road that night and brought me here – why?"

"I do not need to dignify this with an answer."

"Yes you do! Answer me!"

"Miya, enough of this!" He raised his voice slightly, his tone sharp with command.

"No! I want to know why," she shouted defiantly. "Why did you take me, why did you try and kill me then save me? Was it because you thought I'd be more fun alive?"

"Things changed."

"What?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't I?" She narrowed her eyes on him. "Was it because you had no other predacons?"

"Yes – are you satisfied now?"

"No. I want to know why me!"

"I had no other predacons to satisfy me."

"And?" she snapped quickly.

His patience shattered. "And a damaged child is at least a tolerable substitute!"

A deafening silence overtook the room. Miya stared up at him, wide eyed, all fight gone from her. In that slow moment, Predaking knew the horrible mistake that he had made. He watched in horror as Miya's eyes filled with hurt tears, how she tried to keep her composure together. But when she was on the brink of failure, she turned her back on him and stormed away.

"Miya?" he called after her as she marched across the room. She sat in the corner, and he heard her snuffling to herself softly. The regret and guilt intensified within him to hear that he'd hurt her. He came towards her until he was knelt behind her. "Miya?"

She refused to acknowledge him. It was as if she hadn't heard him at all. He continued to call her name, to try and get her attention. At first he thought she was so upset she had forgotten the world around her, but then he saw her face pinch in fury at the sound of his voice, and deliberately turned her head away from him. He was baffled by such behaviour, what was she doing? Had he really overstepped the mark so much that she now wanted nothing to do with him?

"Miya," he began softly. Apologising was new to him, but he couldn't leave it like this. He needed his sparkling to be herself again. "I… I'm sorry. I never meant to…"

He couldn't find the right words he wanted to say. None seemed good enough. And he was met with only miserable silence. He sighed through his vents.

"Am I not being _tolerable_ enough for you?" came her croaking voice as she sniffed back tears. She shot him a glare over her shoulder. "Sorry, but if I'm not what you wanted out of a _tolerable substitute_ , you might as well kill me now and get yourself a new one. Or better yet, just let me get on with my life!"

Where he felt guilt a moment ago, Predaking now felt outraged. How dare she even say such a thing! How dare she even think it! Had he not done enough to show her that he meant no harm?!

"Now that's enough!" He scolded her coldly, and she spun around to face him with teary eyes. "I want no more of this! I have done nothing to warrant such behaviour. I have cared for you as best I can, and you should show gratitude. I certainly do not need to explain myself to you!"

"Yes, you do," her voice was almost spiteful as she glared up at him. "You can talk now. You don't have the excuse of being a dumb animal. You can't hide your thoughts behind a mystery of unknowable behaviour."

His anger was broken as his processor saw some kind of logic in her argument. She was… correct. Before now, Predaking could do whatever he wanted, and no one would've given him so much grief. They would've said he was simply an animal and therefore couldn't be understood. It might have given him some peace, but he would never have gotten the recognition and respect that he deserved. But now, he could talk, and so was expected to explain himself and give the reasoning for his actions. It was the price that came with intelligence. He could no longer get away with it because he was 'merely a beast'.

He'd wanted this, to be considered the same as the other cybertronians, and this was the consequence of it. Miya was right.

Realising that he'd been silent for a long time, he saw that Miya had turned her back to him again. He searched his mind for the right words to explain himself. He felt loath to do it, but felt like he needed to in order to help clear the air between them. He wouldn't tell her all of his reasons and how those reasons had changed over time. That would only scare her. But he could still offer her _something_ at least.

"Miya…" he said eventually, slowly. "I was born the first and last of my kind in millions of years. The only one of my species, set apart from all those around me because I was a _beast_. I thought I would be eternally lonely. There were no others, so all I could think was that I would remain alone all my life. I longed for a companion… for a family… for even someone like myself, who could know what it was like. I didn't want to feel lonely anymore."

Silence greeted him, and for an agonising moment, he thought she would continue to ignore him. But then, slowly, she turned around and looked up at him. Her eyes searched his for a long while, as if she were guessing if what he said was true. He met her stare unblinkingly.

Slowly, she nodded.


	18. Predacon's Spy

Predacon's Spy:

* * *

Despite Predaking's less than adequate apology, Miya couldn't help but think over all of his words that circled round inside her mind hurtfully. Her fingers played with the dragon-necklace, and she wondered over everything she'd learned from him in such a short amount of time.

It seemed like ages before she finally plucked up the courage to speak. "So… there's no other Predacon's like you?"

The huge robot sighed, yellow optics drifting to the floor in an almost sad way. "No."

"But I've heard the other big robots talk about them. There's gotta be more."

"I've heard them too… but there is none."

Miya – despite still reeling from his earlier words – couldn't help but pity him. She knew what it felt like to be alone. She couldn't bear to see anyone else suffer through the same thing. Was there nothing she could do? She frowned, thinking back over what Predaking had told her – didn't he say he was born in a tank? "Were you… made?"

"In a sense, yes. I was cloned from the fossilised remains."

She'd seen a movie once where something like that happened. "So you're like a dinosaur?"

"I'm not even going to ask what that expression means."

"Well, don't you think they're making more of you? That's got to be what they're doing."

"I would be delighted to know if they were, but there is no way of knowing."

And suddenly, she realised she had her way. Predaking couldn't go around listening in on conversations. All the other robots would see him coming. But she could. "Well… what about me?"

He frowned at her in confusion. "What about you?"

"I could help."

"Miya, do not be ridiculous. You're just one little human," he chuckled softly, taking the sting out of his words. Miya still felt a little angry, though. She'd never liked it when kids at school had told her she couldn't do something. Predaking leaned forward and touched her shoulder with the tip of a servo. "Don't worry about it now, it is time for recharge."

She assumed that by 'recharge', he meant sleep. She could feel exhaustion herself – it _had_ been a long day after all. But something kept bothering her. Predaking transformed into his dragon-form, and laid himself out. Miya gingerly picked her spot beside his chest, where he was warmest. She was almost hesitant, as if his earlier words somehow meant she'd lost favour with him. But he seemed calm.

Within minutes, she heard his breathing even out as he fell into deep slumber. But Miya sat awake, twiddling her fingers around her necklace as her mind continuously pondered the current problem. She knew she could help – she just knew it.

Her eyes drifted over towards the air vent. The bars were just big enough for her to squeeze through, she thought. She looked back at Predaking, and saw that he was still fast asleep. Carefully, she picked herself up and tiptoed over towards the vent.

When she reached it, she looked back one last time, before plunging in. It was more of a squeeze then she'd previously thought. Wiggling her shoulders managed to get most of her torso in, but her hips and bum were another issue. She squirmed and kicked and wriggled, until finally she felt something give way. With a lurch, she fell in the rest of the way, her foot hitting against the bars with a loud ' _CLANG'_.

"Hmm…" she heard the sleepy hum of the dragon. She heard him transform a second later, followed by his confused voice. "Miya… where are… Miya?!"

Quickly scrambling, she moved further into the vent, determined to not have him pull off the bars and yank her out. Suddenly, the light in the vent went out, and she turned to see his face at the bars, yellow optic shining as it focused on her.

"What are you doing in there?!" he thundered.

She gave him her lopsided (if somewhat nervous) smile. "I'm gonna help."

"Miya! Get out of there this instant!"

"I'll be back soon," she called back over her shoulder with a wave as she disappeared further into the vents.

" _MIYA!_ "

His roars echoed down the shaft, but Miya ignored them. She pressed on, even when it grew too dark to see, she held her hands out in front of her to guide her way. She walked along the seemingly endless labyrinth of shafts and tunnels. At one point, her foot lost its grip and nearly sent her plummeting down a vertical shaft to her death. She gulped, heart hammering, but carried on.

She didn't exactly know what she was looking for. Perhaps there was an information room? A large computer that she could look through, perhaps? She knew it wouldn't be that easy, but she at least had to try.

Eventually, the vent had an opening in the floor up ahead, where light drifted in from the room below. Miya could hear voices that she recognised, and so drew closer. She knelt beside the vent and peered down.

The robot that she had come to recognise as Megatron was standing at some kind of console. The communications officer was at another terminal to his left, and two other robots – one of which she knew to be Starscream – were standing behind him. The room they were in appeared to be some sort of control-room, judging by the structure and layout of the room as well as the many pieces of equipment. Miya smiled in triumph – she'd just found what she'd been looking for.

"Yes," Megatron was saying into the console, and Miya thought it must've been like some kind of phone-call. "The containment protocol you recommended to prevent any further outbreak is now underway. Oh, and Shockwave, having just lost more than half our military might, I cannot stress enough the importance of Project Predacon. See if you can speed things along, will you."

Miya felt her interest grow at the mention of predacons. So they _were_ making more? She could only assume such a thing. But where? As if in answer to her unspoken question, Megatron turned to the communications officer.

"Soundwave, punch in the co-ordinates to Shockwave's laboratory. I want to oversee the progression of the clones _personally_."

Soundwave nodded and went back to his computer. Miya squinted to try and see what he was typing into the machine, but couldn't understand it. All the letters or numbers or whatever they were, were unrecognisable to her. Perhaps that was their native language?

Her attention was brought back to Megatron as he approached the two other robots. "Knockout. Need I remind you that as the ship's _medic_ , you report directly to Shockwave – not Starscream."

"Understood, Master," the red robot – Knockout – murmured meekly.

"Just to be sure," Megatron said as he curled his lip, "you will hand over _all_ of your projects to him immediately. Including this ' _synthetic-energon_ '."

"As you wish, my liege." Knockout bowed.

Megatron turned his seething gaze onto Starscream. "And as for _you_ …"

"Lord Megatron," Starscream whimpered, "if you would just allow me to explain things–"

"No." Megatron cut him off with a slice of his hand through the air. He then began to advance on Starscream, who backed away fearfully. "Allow _me_ to explain things. In a manner in which I know you will understand…"

The first of Starscream's shouts of pain, had Miya turning away with a horrified gasp. Predaking said the _autobots_ were the bad guys? If they were worse than this, then she didn't ever want to meet any of them!

But unbeknownst to Miya, she didn't realise that her little noise had been overheard by someone. Soundwave looked up at the noise, faceless mask zeroing in on the air vent. Without a word, he detached Lazerbeak from his chest, and sent it to investigate.

Miya only knew what was wrong when she heard a high pitched whirring. She looked down, only to see a metal bird-drone-thing flying up towards her hiding place.

"Oh crap," she whispered.

She turned and fled back the way she came. She didn't care if she was being stealthy, she only knew that she couldn't get caught. What would they do to her if they knew she'd been eavesdropping? But she hit a problem when the air vents grew too dark for her to travel any faster than a snails-pace. If she rushed, she could fall down that shaft that she'd avoided earlier and die. But she could hear the droid coming up behind her.

Frantically, she decided to shoot down and sliding vent to her left. She rolled when she reached the bottom, and found light. Vents lined the wall of her tunnel as she realised that she was running parallel with a hallway. Smiling at her good fortune, she picked herself up and ran –

A metal hand smashed through the bars of the vent next to her and snared her in its grip. Miya screamed at the bruising force encircling her as she was pulled out of the vent and into the hallway. She looked up into the faceless Soundwave, and ducked her head away, waiting for the killing blow.

But it never came. Confusedly, she blinked her eyes open, only to see Shockwave walking down the corridor, as calm as anything.

"Wait… what are you doing?" she asked, looking back up at him.

Of course, he said nothing. He didn't even look down at her.

He carried her in complete silence through the warship. They encountered no other robots on their way, and Miya had the feeling that no one was going to encounter them. She blinked in surprise when she saw that Soundwave had brought her right outside Predaking's cell.

The doors opened, and revealed Predaking in his dragon form almost foaming at the mouth right on the other side of the door. But the moment he saw Miya, his growling stopped and he became just as confused as her. Soundwave, however, didn't seem to be patient enough to wait for them both to figure out what he'd done, and merely put her down on the floor of the doorway. Without another word, he turned around and began to walk away.

Just like earlier on the upper-hull, Miya called out to him. "Thank you!"

Soundwave paused to look back at her. He tilted his head, in what Miya believed to be a curious kind of way. He looked between her and Predaking and back again, and she had a feeling that he'd just clicked something in his mind. What that was, she had no idea. He merely turned back around and left.

As the doors to the cell closed and locked, Miya turned back around to find Predaking transformed and glaring down at her, his frame shaking with rage.

Miya visibly shrank. "I'm in trouble…"

"More than you can imagine," he growled furiously. "Never did I think I would see such absolute thoughtlessness, such stupidity – what in the name of Primus were you thinking?!"

"I just wanted to help–"

"You put yourself at unnecessary risk," he shouted, leaning down closer to her level. "You could've been killed. You deliberately disobeyed my orders. What would you have done if something happened to you? I couldn't help you. What would've happened if it had been Megatron who had found you? Or Starscream? They would've torn you apart and laughed at your screams."

After having just witness Megatron's cruelty to his own lieutenants, Miya felt a shiver run up her spine at the thought. "Then why do you stay with them – if they're so horrible?"

"Because Megatron is my Master, and as a Predacon of honour, I will not abandon my course. You on the other hand, are vermin to him. And you will remember that when you try to go out wandering alone again. I am the only thing that stands between you and them. Do you understand?"

Miya looked at the floor, cheeks burning, upset at having such fury directed at her. Her answer was a mere mumble, "Yes…"

Predaking snorted. "I have no idea as to what could possibly be worth you doing something so foolish."

"I… I wanted to help you," she whispered.

"Me?"

"I overheard them. M-Megatron and them lot." She dared to glance up at him to gauge his reaction. "They talked about something called 'Project Predacon'. We're heading for a lab right now. Some guy named Shockwave, Megatron says he has clones."

He seemed surprised. He stared in shock, obviously not expecting such an answer from her. He stared at the floor, contemplating what she had just told him. Miya shuffled her feet, and wrung her hands nervously. Her anxiety only built with every second that he was silent.

Finally, he sighed through his vents, and she could see all the anger drain away from him as he relented. But she dared not to get her hopes up.

"Miya… thank you." He turned now soft yellow eyes onto her. When she didn't respond right away, he knelt further down, his voice gentle as he spoke. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. But I can't have you risking yourself that way. I was worried. I don't want you to ever again put yourself in harm's way like that. Do you hear me?"

She looked again at the floor. "Yes."

"I do mean it, Miya," he said. She felt something cold beneath her chin, as he curled a servo beneath her chin and gently lifted her face up to look at him. "Thank you."

Miya couldn't help but smile, relieved like any child who had been scolded that the punishment was now over. Predaking opened his hand to her, and she climbed on. He brought her to his chest, and the two reconciled in an embrace. Predaking then finally brought them to their sleeping spot and transformed back into his dragon shape. The pair laid down, and finally Miya succumbed to the exhaustion that seemed to have be rooted right down to her bones. She was asleep within seconds.

Predaking, however, remained awake, pondering over everything he had just learned.

And waiting for when the ship would finally come to its destination.


	19. Predacon's Pack

**Author's Note: Can I just say that the support for this story has been utterly fantastic so far! Thank you guys so much for all your reviews and messages. You really make my day at how much you seem to love this story!**

 **On a side note, the number of tanks I mention in this is true. There are 24 in the lab. I know, because I counted them all during the episode :P**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Predacon's Pack

* * *

Predaking left Miya sleeping in the cell during the early hours of the morning. The moon was still out, the sun not yet risen. The halls of the Nemesis were deserted – from what Predaking had learned, almost half of the ship's military strength was offlined due to the plague of terracons. It was easy for him to find his way through the ship without discovery and fly into the air.

He landed on one of the ship's wings, the rain and thunder not truly bothering him. The storm raged, but it wasn't as bad as it had been hours earlier. He thought perhaps in another hour or so, it would calm and disappear completely. But Predaking didn't mind the storm, it actually gave him a peace of mind to think.

The ship was anchored in front of a small mountain, the entrance to an abandoned energon mine at its base. Predaking could only think that this was the secret off-site laboratory that Miya had spoken of. If that was so, then his processor was already alive as it connected all the possibilities. There would be more clones, more predacons, more of his own species that he would interact with. He would no longer be alone.

But he wasn't alone, he reminded himself. He had a sparkling. But still, it would be good to have a people to belong to, to not be the outcast of a group. He would lead his people into a time of plenty when they retook Cybertron. Such a chance that Megatron was giving him, no matter how unknowingly, Predaking knew that he would be forever grateful to the bot for this.

A loading elevator lead down into the mine. Predaking watched as Knockout went down in it, the lift filled with stacks of boxes filled with a green substance. He watched it disappear into the mine, before launching into the air and soaring down to the ground far below.

He landed with a loud splash in the wet soil. His yellow optics lit up in the dark, the rain streaking across his plates. With slow, quiet steps, he slunk into the mine. A long tunnel opened up in front of him, leading down into the bowels of the earth. Scanners and sensors all primed and reading everything around him, he made his way forward. There was only one fork in the journey, where the path branched off into a separate large chamber. But Predaking's scanners detected the subtle energy signatures of cybertronians, so he took the other route. He followed further on until the path levelled out and opened into a massive chamber ahead. Voices echoed to him.

"Synthetic Energon," said Knockout. "Troops will be delivering my remaining supply to you."

Shockwave's voice was as monotone as always. "I will determine its value after Lord Megatron's predacon army is ready for deployment."

It was as if the words lit up a fire in Predaking's spark. Confirmation, right here, that there were other predacons in the next room. He couldn't stop the hiss shock and excitement. Realising that the others must have heard it, he stormed into the chamber. Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave and Knockout were all looking at him in confusion, but he had eyes for only one thing.

Twenty-four tanks filled with yellow liquid glowed ominously, lined up in two rows. Inside them, dark shapes floated, unresponsive. Each one looked different, an individual, but they all had in common a monstrous appearance to them. Predaking was at first speechless for a moment as he took in the sight, before he let loose a roar of victory at having finally found his people.

"Unruly beast!" He was reminded of the other cybertronians presence as Starscream came strutting towards him, a rod in his servos. "You dare to roam freely without permission?!"

With each word, the seeker struck him on the head. Predaking's optics narrowed before he roared at his foe. Starscream shrieked and cowered away from him as Predaking stalked towards him. Initiating the command sequence in his processor, he transformed, revealing himself in all his glory to the cowering scrap of metal beneath him.

The reaction was immediate. Though he didn't mean for the others to see, he'd had enough of Starscream's false superiority, and he finally wanted to put him in his place. It was worth it for the wide-optics and slack jawed, stupid expression as he stared.

"What?" Starscream whispered.

Predaking leaned over the con, his voice deep and rippling with a growl as he spoke. "Strike me again, and I will bury that rod in your spark!"

It took Starscream 3.2 seconds to get over his shock and scuttle away. He glanced back at the other three behind him. "I-I did not realise that the beast was capable of transformation!"

"Nor did I…" said Megatron as he glanced at Shockwave.

Predaking snarled at Starscream. "I am no _beast_!"

He stomped past the seeker, almost squashing him if he hadn't dodged out of the way in time. Predaking ignored him, considering that to be the greatest insult to his enemy. He approached the nearest tank and stared up at the inactive predacon inside. A memory surfaced in his databanks, but only half filtered as if it were a dream. Warmth had surrounded him, sounds had been muted, the world dark. Perhaps it was memories of his own time in the tank?

"The ability to transform is a fundamental part of Cybertronian biology," he heard Shockwave explain. "We simply possessed no evidence that the predacon species ever reached that evolutionary stage. Since they became extinct in the great cataclysm."

"And now we know…" Starscream growled to himself.

Predking more spoke to himself as he reached up with a servo to touch the thick glass of the tank. "So the rumours are true… I will no longer be alone."

"And I see you've been keeping secrets…" Megatron murmured. Predaking turned to see the leader of the Decepticons approaching him. He stood a little straighter to show his respect for his alpha. He noted to himself that in his robot-form, he was much taller than Megatron. That must've been strange for war-lord.

"It was not my intention to deceive you, Lord Megatron," Predaking said respectfully. "I only recently became aware of my abilities. All I remember of my beginning, is hunting and battle. And the _wounding_ of my pride." He shot a glare at Starscream. "Thus I begun to burn with questions: who am I? Where did I come from? The warships databanks provided plenty of historical fact, but still I possessed no memory of my own past. So I began to reconsider my place in the present. And wondered, could I be like the others? And now I know."

"That would indeed explain some things…" Knockout murmured.

Megatron narrowed his optics. "But not all."

"Lord Megatron?" Predaking tilted his head in confusion.

"The human you brought aboard my ship," Megatron said, waving a servo dismissively. "Shockwave theorised that you kept her as a toy or pet. Explain yourself."

"That was originally my intention," Predaking answered vaguely, not sure on how much he should tell. He doubted that Megatron would be pleased to hear him adopting the girl. "But certain matters have driven the relationship into previously unforeseen territory."

"How?"

"As the only predacon aboard the Nemesis, I yearned for a companion. Miya fulfilled that role and kept me company."

"This is illogical reasoning," said Shockwave.

"Miya completed a requirement in my code. In so doing, she endeared herself to me. She is part of my 'pack' now, if you will."

Megatron came to stand beside him in front of the tank. "But now you will have members of your own kind to fill the void. You can dispose of her."

"With all due respect, Lord Megatron, I cannot do that." Predaking narrowed his optics ever so slight. "Miya is bonded to me. I understand that this goes against the Decepticon way, but I have taken certain steps to ensure that she is of no threat."

"You do not believe she could run off with sensitive information?"

"From what I have learned of her, she is one human, all alone in the world. She has no way to get off of the ship without my assistance, and more importantly, has nowhere to go. Such a threat is not possible."

"Be sure that it doesn't." Megatron nodded and began to walk away, the others following him closely. "You are a valued asset, predacon. I would hate for you to learn the consequences of an error in judgement."

"I take full responsibility for Miya, Lord Megatron."

"Indeed," Megatron gave a respectful nod and left.

Predaking vented in relief. That had gone slightly better than expected. He knew that Megatron wasn't won over yet, but he hoped that he could at least one day make him ignore Miya – that would be a step in the right direction. Yet he was grateful for this reprieve.

Speaking of the girl, Predaking had a sudden desire to bring her down here. He just knew she would love this. To see the fruition of their speculations and thoughts. She had helped him learn of this place, after all. She deserved to see it.

He marched out of the cave, and as soon as he was out of the mine, he transformed and flew back towards the Nemesis. Transforming when he landed on the upper hull, for the first time, he walked into the ship on two legs. He was aware, as he entered the ship, how cameras were now following his every move, whereas before they simply ignored them. Put he paid them no mind, as he arrived at his little den. Miya was asleep right where he had left her. Kneeling over her, he nudged her gently with a servo.

He whispered, "Miya, wake up."

She took a few seconds to awaken at his insistent prodding. She blinked blearily up at him, struggling to focus. "Predaking? Wha…?"

"There's something I must show you."

He carried her in his palm to the upper-hull. When they stepped outside, the storm had finally dissipated, as he had predicted. Transforming, he held Miya in his claws so that there was no fear of her falling off of his shoulders in the still high winds. When he landed at the entrance to the mine, he transformed and placed her on his shoulder before walking into the dark. He couldn't keep the grin of excitement off his face. Miya huddled closer to his helm, clinging to him as she struggled to see in the dark.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly.

"You'll see."

He brought her to the laboratory, and place her on the ground. As she stepped in, he saw her shoulders tense, her eyes grow wide as her mouth dropped open. She stared unblinkingly around her, a look of shock on her face. She came towards the tanks, and he noticed just how small she was compared to them.

"Whoa…" she whispered.

Predaking couldn't keep the pride out of his voice. "Behold, my army of predacons, still yet to be 'born', as it were. But they will be fully formed and combat ready in three days' time. Then, they shall join us."

"Three days?" she asked, turning around to look up at him. Her brows pinched, as if in concern. "I didn't think it would be that fast."

"Cybertronian science is far superior to that of human technology."

She nodded, then turned back to the tanks. Though she continued to stare in amazement, she was quiet. With a hand, she reached up and touched the glass, pressing her palm against its warmth. He watched her.

"They are truly worthy, aren't they, Miya?" He grinned.

"Yeah… they're amazing."

He tilted his head, brows furrowing in concern. He scanned her for injuries or fevers, but came up negative. "Miya? What is wrong?"

"I…" she looked away, embarrassed. "Well, it's nothing really."

"Tell me."

Miya wrung her hands. She didn't quite know how to respond. The urge to say the words on her mind were right on the tip of her tongue. And Predaking was watching her in a way that meant he wouldn't take no for an answer. But she was wary of what he would think. She'd already misbehaved tonight, and Predaking had seemed pretty frustrated with her last time they spoke. She looked around at the tanks and swallowed. This was what he wanted, sleeping in their artificial wombs all around them. She was frightened by it, yet excited at the thought of more dragon-like creatures. She looked up at Predaking, wondering if he would forget about it if she diverted the conversation. His expectant look told her otherwise.

She swallowed thickly. It was suddenly hard to look him in the optic. The possibility of what she would find there was too much to bear.

Her voice was a mere whisper when she spoke. "Well, now that you have them… will you not need me anymore?"

Predaking actually blinked as he tried to process the question. "Where by Primus did you get that idea?"

"It's just that… you said you wanted other predacons."

"And?"

"You said I was a 'substitute'. For them." Her cheeks burned and her eyes glistened. "You've been waiting for them for ages. I just thought… now you've got them, you don't want me anymore."

Predaking stared down at the girl. His previously good mood came crashing down around him. He should've expected this, he reminded himself. After all, she brought up valid points. However, in all honesty, he was growing weary of this. It hurt his spark more then he could possibly say at her constantly mentioning to be set free from him. His spark couldn't imagine living without her, but it was hurting too much to keep her if she wanted nothing to do with him so blatantly.

"Miya… do you want to leave?" his voice was very quiet. It had only been a short while ago that he had promised Megatron that this wouldn't happen. Now this very thing was happening. He felt anger combine with the hurt.

She shuffled her feet uneasily. "Do you want me to leave?"

"That was not what I asked. Do you want to go or not?"

"Please don't say it like that," she pleaded, but her cheeks burned with her own growing frustration. "I'm sorry, but… I don't want to be a toy that you play with when you're bored with everyone else."

His optics hardened. "I've never treated you like that."

"I know–I know! I'm sorry!" she blurted quickly. He searched her face, watched as tears gathered in her eyes until she burst. "I just… I don't want to go!"

He froze. His spark was suddenly hanging by a thread as he waited with baited breath for her to elaborate. For some reason he thought this was too good to be true. But he dared to hope. Tears poured down Miya's face, her eyes pleading with him as if she was begging for mercy.

"I know you get angry with me," she said quickly, hardly allowing herself time to take in enough breath. "I know I'm stupid, and I say the wrong things, and I act up – I'm sorry for that. I know I'm not a predacon. But I really don't want to leave you. Please don't make me go, please! Please, I promise I'll–"

"Miya," he said just loud enough for her to hear, holding up a hand to silence her. She shut her mouth, cheeks stained red with tears, her hands clutching each other tightly. He knelt in front of her, spark fit to burst as he smiled softly. "It's alright. You don't have to go anywhere."

"I… I don't?" she squeaked.

"If you want to stay with me, then you will. There would be nothing else I'd want more. You can stay by my side for as long as you wish."

"You mean it?"

"Absolutely." He declared. He watched the words sink in, and saw the smile grow across her face. He chuckled and gently touched her hair with a servo. "After all, if I am a _King_ , then I will need a _princess_."

Once more, he waited as the words sunk in and she realised their meaning. So many different emotions flittered across the child's face, he had no way of naming them all. The smile came back, eclipsing her face, tears threatened her eyes again, but did not fall this time. His scanners saw her heart rate soar.

His own spark was moved for joy. This was confirmation more than anything before, that this was his sparkling, and she agreed to it. Miya wanted him. Though he had not said the exact words, his meaning had been clear – he hoped. For some reason, he feared explaining to her the full circumstances of his devotion to her, for fear that she might run from him. It was ridiculous, but he thought it best to wait until she was accustomed to consciously knowing him as a fatherly figure and even learn more of Cybertronian ways, before he dropped that bombshell on her. Being his sparkling was not a one-off thing, after all. It was a life-time commitment on his part, he would never give her up. Not even if her real carrier and sire came waltzing back into her life, he would fight for her as if she were his own metal and energon. He wasn't sure about other Cybertronians, but from his deep programming, in his primary code, he knew that predacon sparklings were considered sacred. Back when they were more primitive, sparklings were the hope for the future, the only legacy that would truly live forever. A carrier and sire would die to protect their sparkling, and Primus help the fool that took it from them. That was why Predaking didn't want to overwhelm Miya with that knowledge.

But that was a thought for another time. Now, he just wanted to celebrate in this moment.

He knelt down and offered her his hand. She ran to him, climbing into his palm and holding onto one of his servos. He stood, lifting her up with him, smiling down at her. She beamed at him unashamedly. She then reached forward and embraced his chest as she had done before, her head resting over his spark chamber. Predaking held her a little tighter, never wanting to let her go.

He had a sparkling, and soon he would have an army. Everything was going to be perfect.

* * *

 **Please review!**


	20. Predacon's Sparkling

Predacon's Sparkling:

* * *

They only had to wait three days. Just three days. But those three days felt like they took forever.

Predaking appointed himself as the off-sit Laboratory's guard. He would be damned if anyone, human or autobot, attempted to sabotage this project. And of course, wherever he went that was relatively safe, Miya went. The pair spent most of their time on the first day in the lab. Predaking let her look into each tank, listening whenever she recognised one of the forms and told him the earth mythologies about such creatures. Griffons, hydras, Basilisks, Chimeras, she told him it all. When he'd asked how she knew all these legends, the girl had sheepishly replied that she'd played a lot of video games and was considered a "nerd".

He didn't know what a "nerd" was, but decided it didn't matter. Miya was Miya.

She was excited yet also anxious to meet her new extended family. He could see it in her body language, the way she fidgeted, the way she fiddled with the necklace. She tried to hide her apprehension with a multitude of questions. And she was very persistent with them. So Predaking almost had no choice but to indulge her.

"Will they all be as big as you?" she asked as she pressed her face close to the glass of one of the tanks.

Predaking considered the idea as he looked at the twenty-four assembled tanks. Though another two days remained to wait, he doubted that any of these would grow in that time to surpass the size of his beast form. "We shall see, though I think not."

"Do you think we could name them?" She looked over at him, a grin spreading over her face.

"Name them?"

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

"No, they will pick their own names. The same way I chose mine." For some reason that felt important to him. To give his brethren the respect they deserved, and to decide their own destinies. "It shall be a badge of honour for them."

"Not even one or two?"

"Miya…" he dragged her name out in warning.

She pouted. "You're no fun."

He chuckled but followed her as she flittered from tank to tank. Once again, Predaking found himself scanning each and every tank. Nothing wrong, the pressure levels were stabilised, the juices in the tanks were uncorrupted, the spark-beats were strong. Just as it had been the last time he'd checked. With his anxiety over these predacons finally joining him in the land of the living, he'd been checking and double checking every little thing to make sure it was all going smoothly.

Miya had her brows furrowed, so he knew another question was coming. "Do you guys have girl robots? I've only seen the spider one."

"Yes, we have Femmes," Predaking replied, then thought for a moment. "Though considering the war, I'd say those femmes are few and far in between."

"So… could any one of these be female?"

"Possibly. Though there's no way to tell until they emerge."

Miya snickered. "You might have a Queen soon – Predaqueen?"

He gave her a deadpan look. "I doubt that will happen."

She laughed, but let the matter drop.

Honestly, Predaking didn't know what he would do. He'd never considered a spark-mate before. Perhaps that was because there had never been any femmes of his kind. Or any femmes at all for that matter. He'd only encountered Arachnid, and the Femme that resided with the autobots. Some part of him did desire a mate, yes, but it wasn't a priority for him. He had Miya, a spakling, and that was enough for him.

Miya came to a stop in front of the tank whose inhabitant resembled a wyvern, as Miya had called it. The girl seemed to like this one, always coming back to it. Predaking took that as a good sign that she was already familiarising herself with the new predacons. This one might even have something special in it if it could unconsciously grab Miya's attention. Miya gently placed her hand against the warm glass, and her face grew serious. Her other hand reached up to fiddle with the green dragon necklace. Predaking knelt behind her, silently looming over her, comforting her, protecting her in his shadow.

"… do you think they'll like me?" her voice was so quiet he almost didn't hear it.

He blinked down at her. "You don't think they will?"

"I don't know," she murmured.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked away from the tank. Her eyes found his optics as she turned to face him. She bit the corner of her lip, her large eyes stared up at him. He could see her yearning for that acceptance, but he knew she would hate being lied to for the sake of being coddled.

Despite that, he knew his answer. He smiled and held out a hand to gently touch her back. "They will."

"How do you know?"

"Because you're mine. They will love you as much as I do."

He saw her eyes widen at the mention of the word 'love'. It must have great significance to humans, or did it just have great significance in this situation? Either way, it had the desired effect. Her smile was so wide it crinkled her eyes. She leaned into his touch, wrapping her arms around his thumb and squeezing back.

 _"_ _Predacon."_ Snapped the hated voice of Starscream over Predaking's comm. He growled loudly, standing and stepping away from Miya so that she wouldn't be forced to hear whatever foulness poured from the seeker's septic mouth. _"_ _Lord Megatron has requested your presence aboard the Nemesis. Leave your pet at the lab, Megatron wishes to talk of sensitive matters."_

It took every ounce of willpower in Predaking's programming to stop him from snarling back. "What protection will be left in place?"

 _"_ _Vehicons are patrolling the area. Do not question your orders, beast. Over and out."_

The comm went silent before Predaking could roar his anger at the second in command. He had to count backwards from five hundred just to try and soothe his temper that threatened to boil over.

"What is it?" he heard Miya ask, the inflections in her voice indicated that she was concerned.

He turned back to her, and did his best to wipe away the anger and replace it with a gentle smile. "Nothing. I must go, but I'll be back shortly."

"Oh… okay." She looked uneasy, but nodded.

He left her with the tanks. Considering how much Megatron valued these new soldiers for his army, this was perhaps the safest place for her. That still didn't make him worry less. But his fears were at least a little subsided when he saw that a small platoon of Vehicons were stationed outside the lab entrance. And the Nemesis was circling not too far away, so he knew he would be close if anything were to happen.

It was a short flight back to the warship, and transforming on the upper hull, Predaking strode into the ship proudly. The reaction was immediate. Of those Vehicons that were left in Megatron's army, every single one that he encountered openly stared at him. They gawked and seemed to contemplate if they should unsheathe their weapons. However, their fears were proved insignificant when Megatron strolled through the halls to meet Predaking. Behind him were all of his high-ranking officers in formation. Starscream, Soundwave, Knockout and Shockwave. This must have been more important than Predaking had first thought if all of them were present.

"So good of you to join us," Megatron said as he stood toe to toe with Predaking.

Predaking always analysed a situation, and he quickly realised the significance of this meeting. Despite being a full head taller than Megatron, he bowed submissively. "Lord Megatron."

It was as if the tension none of them had known was there, disappeared. The officers seemed to relax, and even Megatron nodded in approval. Predaking hadn't realised that it must have seemed as if he were challenging Megatron for command, even if those moves had been subconscious on his part. He stood to his full height again, and met Megatron's gaze calmly but unflinchingly. He was willing to be submissive but never let it be said that the dragon bowed to no one's complete rule but his own.

"Seeing as you now have the capability of a fully evolved consciousness; it makes you now able to swear to oaths of fealty," Megatron said, getting straight to the point. He started walking down the corridor, and Predaking followed at his side. "You must understand, I cannot have soldiers fighting my war, if I do not trust them to follow my command."

Predaking nodded. "I completely understand, Lord Megatron."

"So you will swear your loyalty to me?"

"I will."

"And what of your brethren? Will they?"

Ah, now it was time to bring Megatron's attention to something that had been on Predaking's mind for a while. "It is with deepest gratitude for my creation, that I pledge my undying obedience to you, my one true master. But with more of my species soon to stride among us, I beg your permission to in turn lead them. As: Predaking."

Megatron was silent for a moment. The predacon looked over at him, concerned he would refuse. The Lord of the Decepticons looked over at him, and though he seemed a little stunned, his words still made Predaking rejoice. "Your vision… is boundless…"

* * *

Megatron waited until Predaking left the ship to go and check on his pet human. Only then did he call upon all of his officers and escorted them down to the cargo-bay of the ship. They told no vehicons or any others of where they were headed or their purpose. What Megatron wanted to say could have been spoken on the bridge or in his private quarters, but he feared that those spaces would be too easily overheard. The cargo bay was out of the way and would have less audio-receptors to listen in.

The group hunted their way through stacks of energon crates, until they found their way to the centre where they could all stand comfortably without being squshed. Perhaps Megatron was being paranoid. But then again, it was through his paranoia that he'd managed to live so long. At least hear the group would be able to know if anyone was coming or listening in, and they were well hidden.

The officers were waiting for him to give an explanation for why he had brought them here. But in all honesty, Megatron was having difficulty coming to the conclusion that his mind was suddenly screaming at him. So much had been riding on this plan, it would only prove a waste of time and resources to abandon it now. But if he didn't, there was the chance of death.

"Our former beast may fully believe himself to be a loyal servant today…" he finally said, "but trust me, the moment our royal highness realises that his army possess greater might then what currently remains of the Decepticons…"

"Evolution will give way to _revolution_." Said Starscream, the first to step forward.

Megatron sighed. "I am left with no choice, but to eradicate the predacon clones before they are provided the opportunity to eradicate _us_."

"Lord Megatron," Knockout said quickly. He glanced over at Shockwave, and suddenly began smirking. "You're not saying you intend to pull the plug on Shockwave's beloved Project Predacon?"

"Your conclusion is most logical, My Leige," came Shockwave's calm reply.

Knockout's smirk vanished, replaced by slight panic. "But what if that fire-breathing brute discovers our treachery?"

"Ahem," Starscream cleared his throat, a superior smile plastered across his face. "Why assume that we will be the ones to perform the deed? After all, if the… _Predaking_ were to discover that, say the _Autobots,_ were responsible for wiping out his comrades? Our resident beast might in turn destroy our hated enemies for us… or… they _him_."

"You think he'd fall for that?"

"Look at it as an extra incentive to do play your part well," Megatron growled out, his optics narrowing as he began to formulate a plan.

"So how do we do this?" Knockout asks.

"Predaking has drawn the logical conclusion to guard both the clones and his human in the same location. His attention will have to be diverted and the autobots lured in." Shockwave supplied.

"And if the human were to be caught in the crossfire?" Starscream grinned wickedly. "What's the human expression? Two birds with one stone?"

* * *

Predaking had taken Miya out of the lab for a short flight. She needed new clothes and new food. But the pair had used the opportunity to have a little fun whilst they were out. Predaking was quite proud that Miya was growing bolder during their flights. She was brave, daring, trusting him every time to keep her safe.

They weren't going to sleep in the laboratory, seeing as the constant noise of the lab would keep Miya awake all night. So they came back to the Nemesis, to their room, later that night. By that point, Predaking felt in the mood for some much needed recharge. It had been a long four eight hours overall that he had missed so much rest. He was more than ready to catch up on what he'd missed. Unfortunately, Miya was not in complete agreement.

"That was awesome!" She exclaimed loudly, thrusting her hands in the air. She leaned back, almost falling off of Predaking's shoulder where she was sat.

Predaking winced at the volume so close to his audio-receptor. "Miya, perhaps it is time for recharge–"

"How can you sleep at a time like this?" she demanded, and stood, balancing on his broad shoulder. Her grin soon came back. "God! I don't think I've ever been that high! It was… it was awesome!"

"So you keep saying."

"And then when I jumped off your back and we went into freefall… oh! Better than a movie! Better than anything!"

He reached for her and plucked her up into his hand before she could squirm away. He brought her down, groaning to himself. "Remind me never to let you have anything dipped in sugar before bedtime."

Miya made a face at him as she sat in the palm of his hand. "I know you're a clone and all, but is there some instinct in there for what predacons do for fun?"

"We are predators. The life of a predator does not leave much room for 'fun'."

"But you're smart! You have higher thought processes then even the drones. That means you have a persona, and a group of personas will try to establish culture in order to keep order."

"Who told you that?"

"My teacher. So what culture do predacons have?"

Predaking blinked. He honestly didn't know, and the frustration born of ignorance made him a little snappier then he would have liked. "I do not know. Perhaps the answer will come to you in recharge."

"Well, then how do you remember your history?"

"We tell stories of the great battles and accomplishments."

"Really? Tell me one!" she bounced excitedly.

Predaking glared down at the human. Any other fleshy mortal would have shrivelled and soiled themselves. But not Miya, she gazed up at him with her oblivious grin. He knew she wasn't going to give in any time soon, so he thought it best to indulge her.

He placed her on his knee and held up a single servo. "One story. One. Do you promise to go to sleep as soon as it is over?"

"I promise!"

"Good." He rolled his eyes and before he could even cast his mind, something flashed at the forefront of his processor. "Then I shall tell you the tale of Onyx Prime."

"Who's that?"

The answer came to him as if naturally. "The father of all predacons."

"Oh…"

"The Thirteen Primes," he began, and already Miya had given him his full and awed attention. "The supreme beings created by Primus, had descended into war. They had been the soldiers to defeat Unicron, the chaos bringer, the demon of death, and won. But anarchy descended amongst them. Brother fought brother. Onyx Prime was the oddest of his order. He carried no weapons, but instead transformed into a beast mode. He attacked with a vicious savagery, defeating those who dared to challenge his might. Though it pained his spark to fight those he considered his friends, his brothers in arms, he had no choice. With the Triptych Mask, he was able to know many battles before they had even begun.

"But on one fateful battle, towards the end of the war, he was gravely injured. He knew he would not survive, so to spite his enemies that would seek him destroyed, he ventured with the last of his great strength to the Well of Allsparks. He thought to throw himself into it and be reborn again. And so he was. As his spark merged with the Well, from him came the predacon species. Mighty, strong, honourable, with the ability to transform into a beast mode able to fell even the strongest cybertronians. It was from Onyx Prime that my kind was born, and to him that we call 'father'."

As the story finished, Predaking was left dazed at how he had seemingly known that story out of nowhere. It mystified him, as he was sure he'd never heard that story before. Yet somehow, he knew it, had spoken it as if he'd once memorised it like a favourite ballad. How could that be possible?

He cast his mind back to the fossilised optic he'd found, the memory he'd experienced from it. Could this be the same thing? Were these repressed memories from his previous life? He was a clone after all, so was this the genetic and ancestry memory of the Predaking before him? If that was so… Predaking honestly didn't know how to feel. On one claw he was elated to think that maybe he could be so close to unlocking the secrets of his old life. But then, what did it all mean?

His thoughts on the matter were stilled when he gazed down and saw that Miya was lying curled asleep on his knee. He must've been silent in thought for a while. But it didn't matter. Miya slept as if she'd been as tired as he'd felt. The girl looked so peaceful, it brought a smile to his face. Ever so gently, he stroked the back of his knuckle along her back. So many things were being made possible for him all because of this one little girl. Truly, he owed her for more than she would ever know.

"My dearest sparkling…" he whispered.

Carefully, he transformed around her, so as not to jostle her too much. When he lay there in dragon form, she was by his side, still sleeping soundly. He heated his fire generator to keep her warm and soothed. He then curled around her and settled into recharge himself.

* * *

 **Author's Note: For the story about Onyx Prime, I tried to keep to what I could learn from both the show and the Prime Wiki, but ultimately had to take a little artistic licence. I hope people are okay with that.**

 **As always, its lovely to see such support for this story. Please don't forget to review!**


	21. Predacon's Target

Predacon's Target:

* * *

Predaking awoke from recharge when a foot poked his optic. He grumbled and blinked open both yellow optics. He looked up, to see Miya climbing over his great head, her hands grasped around his horns to pull herself up. Rumbling, he shook his head and jostled her. She yelped at the sudden movement, but a moment later her laughter filled the air.

"Come on!" she pleaded. Her head appeared suddenly in front of one of his optics, upside down, hair hanging all around her. "We gotta go to the tanks. Please!"

Despite the fact that his systems were still groggy from recharge, he had to admit, her enthusiasm was infectious. Though he was still very regretful of letting her have the organic food-substance she'd called 'cookies'. Next time he'd never let her get within ten metres of the things before bedtime.

Without a word, he stood, and let the child snake her way down his long neck to settle in her usual place on his back. He hummed to her happily. It brought his spark joy to see her so at ease, so in tune with his own habits. Despite still needing the feel of more recharge, the predacon was in a great mood as he made his way through the warship to the upper-hull, with the human on his back.

They made their way down to the labs. Shockwave only gave them a glance as he worked at his console at the other end of the room. Predaking only gave him a somewhat cautious glance before transforming and placing Miya on the ground. Once again she went to her favourite, the Wyvern, first of all, before going to each one in turn. Predaking watched her, a thrill of excitement in his cables as he couldn't wait for his brethren to meet his Sparkling. Under his leadership and protection, they would all be safe and thriving.

But a thought occurred to him: would they?

The Decepticons were not known for their affiliation with earth's native lifeforms. In fact, they openly despised them. Predaking himself didn't care for the human populace, either way. But he cared about Miya. Yet the Decepticons had already shown their distaste for her. He knew his kind would never harm her, he felt it in his primary codes. But a dark thought occurred to him as he wondered how long the Decepticons would continue to tolerate her.

He'd explained himself and Miya to Megatron already, and whilst no one had openly been hostile to her since, Megatron hadn't sworn her safety either. Predaking knew that he would not be completely at ease until he had conformation from Megatron that Miya was safe from his soldiers. He realised he'd have to bargain for that right.

 _"_ _Predaking,"_ crackled the voice of Megatron in Predaking's comm. link.

What is the human expression, Predaking thought, speak of the devil?

He activated the comm. "I am here, Lord Megatron."

" _Something has cropped up on our long range scanners. I will discuss the details of the mission with you in person. Report to the Nemesis. Now."_

Predaking looked over at the small girl by the tanks, who was watching him as if she'd heard every word. He gave her a reassuring smile. This was probably the best opportunity to settle his previous thought, he realised.

He knelt in front of Miya, and said, "Lord Megatron requires my presence. You stay here and watch over our subjects for me. I'll return for you as soon as I am able."

"Okay," she nodded. She then gave him a half smile and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "It's not like I can go anywhere else."

He snorted, but left her. One more cast of his optics to Shockwave, and he left the mine. For his entire journey back to the Nemesis, he couldn't quite squash down the creeping sense of dread in his spark.

He came aboard the Nemesis, and made his way to the bridge. Once again, all the droids and soldiers stared at him in awe and fear as he walked past. He towered over them, his horned helm brushing the ceiling of the ship. Ignoring them, he made his way to the bridge.

Megatron was waiting for him, Soundwave ever silently working at his own terminal. Predaking bowed his head slightly in respect to his liege lord. The ruler of the Decepticons turned to fully face him.

"Ah, Predaking, how good of you to join us," said Megatron.

"You sent for me, Lord Megatron."

Megatron gestured to holographic map of the local area. "Indeed. Our long range scanners have detected some puzzling activity. I wanted your opinion on it."

"My opinion?"

"The signature is not of predacon origin, but none the less it is an enigma. Normally, I would send Starscream or one of the vehicons to investigate. But seeing as you are the walking and talking predacon aboard this ship, I gathered that it would be wise to have your insight on the matter."

Predaking nodded. "Of course."

He looked at the map, saw the analysis of the code fragments it was broadcasting. It was certainly strange, though nothing extraordinary. Predaking tried to think about the best way to handle the problem, but his thoughts would not be consistent. His processor kept returning to Miya, to the request that gnawed at his spark. It distracted him and made him take longer than necessary to answer. Megatron obviously noticed as he gave Predaking a look.

"Does something trouble you?" he asked.

Predaking quickly tried to cover his blunder. "My Lord, it is nothing."

"I will not have my soldiers distracted and unable to focus on the tasks I set them. Speak."

It was a direct order, and he knew he couldn't disobey. Slowly, reluctantly, he said, "Lord Megatron, it is about Miya…"

"Your human 'companion'. What of it?"

"Sir, with all due respect to you, I ask of you that Miya be fully accepted as my charge and responsibility."

"I thought I had already made that perfectly clear. Should the organic get out of hand, you are to–"

"Yes, sir," Predaking interjected quickly. "But I wish for Miya to come under no harm from Decepticons. I, of course, will manage her. She will not be allowed to wonder freely over the ship, I will be sure that she has no access to any sensitive information, or that she will get in your way. All I ask is that no one harm her."

Megatron did not look best pleased. Despite the fact that his expression never once changed, Predaking could see the way his red optics twitched in distaste. "Your obsession with this fleshy creature is still beyond my understanding."

"Rest assured, My Liege, this is an individual case. I am still loyal to your cause; no other human will affect me the way she does."

"Where is the human now?"

"Currently in the labs, sir."

"Hmmm…" Megatron looked thoughtfully at the map. "We will talk about this later. Right now I wish for your opinion."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Miya hummed softly as she pressed her hand against the glass of the tank. It was warm, and she felt the pulsing of an electrical current within, only slightly, enough to tell there was something alive inside. She smiled and looked up at the robotic creature in the tank. She kicked her legs out, idly doing anything to pass the time.

The creepy-one-eyed-robot, Shockwave, was furiously typing away at his computer. He ignored her presence, as if she didn't exist. Which was fine by Miya, she thought he was freaky. She didn't know how her Predaking could be so at ease around him.

Without Predaking there to talk to or to do anything with, the girl tried to pass the time in any way she could. So it was no surprise when she began to hum and then softly sing to the sleeping predacons in the tanks. Was it her imagination, or did one move in its sleep when it heard her voice?

"Why do you make such noise, human?" came the monotone voice.

Miya turned. Shockwave was watching her. She couldn't tell if he was annoyed or not, as his lack of facial expressions made it hard to tell his mood. But by his silence, it was clear that he was expecting an answer.

She shuffled her feet but looked up at him defiantly. "They can hear me. It's like a lullaby you sing to babies. It helps them sleep."

"Your conclusion is most illogical."

"It's not _that_ stupid…" she grumbled.

"The predacons are not sparklings. They are grown to full maturity. And they cannot hear you because they haven't been activated yet. Their processors are still inoperable. I repeat: your conclusion is illogical."

Miya turned her back on him, and mouthed a silent 'blah-blah-blah'. She kicked a crate of the green energon-goo-stuff.

That was when she saw them. Two strange robots she had never seen before walking into the chamber. One was white, the other tall and blue. Their emblems on their chests were different then the Decepticons. Miya shivered as she jumped to the obvious conclusion that these were Autobots. And remembering Predaking's words of warning to her about them, quickly ducked to hide behind the nearest tank.

The white robot came up to one of the tanks, a grimace on his face. "Well… this is one whole lotta ugly…"

"Megatron's cloning operation seems further along than we anticipated…" said the other, his voice more formal.

They walked on, until they came level with Miya's hiding place. The girl held her breath, shaking as she tried to not make any noise possible. But that was when Shockwave – who had previously been oblivious to the intruders – noticed them. He immediately began firing from his gun-arm.

The Autobots shot back. Miya yelped and ducked further into cover. She glanced, frightened out of her mind, at the cave entrance. She knew she had to get out, and warn Predaking. Some guardian she'd turned out to be. But honestly, what could a little girl do against Autobots? She wanted to stay and protect the unborn predacons, and she hesitated, at war with herself. But logic won out, and she began to make her way towards the cave mouth.

But not before she heard Shockwave say into his comm.: "Starscream, the Autobots have arrived. You did not inform me that your plan was already in motion."

" _Only so the whole affair would appear less… staged."_ Came the seeker's loathsome voice.

"I have yet to purge my lab of sensitive materials."

" _Then do not let me keep you, Shockwave. And remember your secondary objective. Over and out."_

Miya's mind was spinning. Did he know? What was going on? The only thing Miya could be certain of, was that she had to get out. She bolted out towards the entrance.

"Hey!" cried the white Autobot, his optics widening in shock. "There's a kid in here!"

"Protect the native!" ordered the blue one.

There was the sound of gears clanking, electricity whirring. Suddenly the tanks glowed on either side of her. Lightning sparked across them aggressively, almost frying the human that ran between them with its intensity. Inside the bubbling liquid that now drained slowly onto the floor, the inhabitants of the tanks opened the optics and began to move.

Miya glanced over her shoulder. She saw Shockwave running for a green portal – a groundbridge, she remembered Predaking call it. Before he could enter, Shockwave paused, and turned and looked right at her. He raised his cannon, and fired.

The girl screamed and leapt away. But she heard the explosion behind her, felt the heat bloom at her back. Fire rolled across her body, engulfing her right side as she twisted to try to avoid the flames. She screamed, and the world went dark.

* * *

Wheeljack continued to shoot at the retreating Shockwave, even as the purple mech disappeared into the groundbridge. He turned, and was horrified to see the human girl sprawled across the floor. A small crater lay behind her, likely from a powerful blast of Shockwave's cannon. Wheeljack had thought that had been a shot meant for him that had gone wide. Now he realised how wrong he was.

He knelt beside the girl, scanners firing across her body to try and find a pulse. It was there, but faint. Blood, soot and dirt coated her face, and her clothes were burned and partially melted to her flesh on her right side. For a moment, Wheeljack thanked Primus that Shockwave had missed. If he hadn't, there wouldn't be much left of the girl except for pieces.

Gently, he scooped her up before the acidic CNA that pooled around her could do anymore damage to her. He'd almost completely forgotten about the now awakening predacons. Now they had an injured civilian in the midst of a likely hostile battle. This day couldn't get any worse…

"Smokescreen, do you copy?" Ultra Magnus said into his comm. link. "What is your position?"

" _We found nothin' but a dead end. On our way now to Prime."_ Came the reply.

Ultra Magnus shook his head. "Negative. We require your assistance. Transform at meet us as fast as you can. We have an injured civilian that you need to transport for medical attention."

" _Scrap. On my way, sir."_

Not a moment later, they heard the roar of Smokescreen's engine. Wheeljack met him at the mouth of the cave chamber. Bulkhead had likely been left in the racer's dust. Smokescreen threw open his passenger door, and Wheeljack quickly laid the girl out on his seat.

"Get her to Ratchet. Go-go-go!" Wheeljack ordered.

Smokescreen didn't have to be told twice. With a spin of his wheels, he was off, spraying dirt in a wide arc as he fled the chamber.

Wheeljack turned back. The predacons inside their tanks were beginning to get more active the more of the CNA liquid was drained from them. Some were screeching and grunting. Others were starting to smash their tails and claws against the reinforced glass that held them imprisoned. The sight of so many predacons ready to break free and rip them to shreds was enough to make even Wheeljack spark-out.

And then he spotted the crates of energon at the back. His optics then drifted to his belt of grenades.

He fished one out, and smirked to Ultra Magnus. "Permission to deploy a grenade in a confined space, sir?"

"If you and I are all that stand between these monsters and the natives of this planet… then by all means," and then the officer gave the smallest smile Wheeljack had ever seen. "Blow these beasts back to the rust-age!"

Wheeljack grinned, activated the grenade and threw it straight for the energon crates.

Both he and Magnus drove their engines flat out as they transformed and raced out of the cave as fast as they could.


	22. Predacon's Horror

Predacon's Horror:

* * *

"Go north to find the source of this unrest," said Megatron to Predaking as they walked down the hallway. "Observe and report. Do not engage. Once we have more information, we can decide what to do."

"Of course, my liege," said Predaking. In all honesty, he was a little annoyed. Surely a small Vehicon patrol could investigate this mysterious signature. But then again, he thought, the vehicons were extremely inept at even the simplest of tasks.

But the pair were interrupted as Starscream came running towards them. Predaking sneered at the seeker, but surprisingly he didn't retort. Starscream seemed for more preoccupied, faceplates contorted with panic as he came before Megatron. Predaking felt his spark murmur with dread once again.

"Lord Megatron!" Starscream exclaimed breathlessly. "It seems Project Predacon has fallen into autobot hands!"

Predaking thought his spark would short-out. Such utter panic and terror seized him that he was rendered unable to move or speak for a nanosecond. His brethren, Miya, the autobots had them?! His optics grew wide as terror for his subjects consumed him. But the fear was quickly fought down by anger. Absolute fury rippled through him, he thought his generator had sent fire through his frame, his outrage burned so hot.

"How is this possible?!" he demanded, forcing the choked words out of his mouth.

But Megatron cut him off as he barked his orders, "Starscream, scramble your Seeker Armada!"

"At once, my liege!" Starscream quickly hurried away.

"No!" Predaking growled, and Starscream stopped in his tracks. The predacon looked to Megatron, his face twisting into a snarl of rage. "If my brethren and Miya are imperilled, I will confront the enemy!"

* * *

Smokescreen swerved around a stalagmite. His engine roared as he revved it almost to beyond its capacity. He shot down the tunnel towards daylight, an urgency in his spark making him go as fast as he could. The little body on his passenger seat bounced with the uneven turf of the path, and Smokescreen kept a constant vigil on her to make sure she was still functional.

Usually he was quite particular about someone getting his interior dirty. But although soot and blood were starting to stain his leather seats, he didn't care. The irregular heartbeat inside that little chest mattered more.

It made him angry beyond comprehension, that the Cons could do something like this to a child. He couldn't even imagine what kind of tortures or horrors the girl must have seen at their servos. She whimpered. He accelerated faster.

He burst out of the mine and into daylight. His wheels spun in the dirt and his rear end drifted to the side as he swerved. A groundbridge was open ahead. The others were loading the crates of energon through it. Optimus looked up at the clearly distressed Smokescreen, blue optics narrowed.

"I got a wounded human, sir!" he shouted quickly. He tapped into his comm. link. "Ratchet! I'm comin' in hot! I got a patient!"

He didn't have time to explain anything else as he raced through the portal.

* * *

Predaking rushed through the groundbridge as fast as he could. Shockwave had just come through, claiming the autobots had cornered him and forced him out of the lab. The predacon was made all the more urgent as he realised that the Autobots had completely taken over the lab. He'd hoped the security outside the mine might hold them until he could get there, but apparently not. And now Miya and his fellow predacons were caught right in the middle.

Soundwave brought the groundbridge in the tunnel just outside the lab so that Predaking could cut off the enemy's escape. He didn't care where he ended up, so long as he could get there in time. He stepped through, in mech form, and was already sending out a scan to learn the condition of his brethren.

But he was stopped when two autobots skidded to a halt in front of him. They'd been going at some speed and had to transform into mechs to attempt to slow themselves down. Predaking recognised them as the Wreckers, Wheeljack, and the commanding officer, Ultra Magnus. They'd been a thorn in his side for too long. That was going to end today.

"Who's this guy?" Wheeljack asked.

Predaking scowled at them. "The very same who has previously allowed you to live, but will not today."

He saw Ultra Magnus' eyes stare at the predacon insignia on his chest. The blue optics went wide with disbelief. "He's the predacon!"

A tremor shook the stone and earth around them. A light bloomed at the end of the tunnel and surged towards them. Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus gasped and quickly threw themselves into an adjoining chamber to avoid the flames. Predaking stared, optics wide, as the flames passed over him but did not harm him. The shockwave the explosion caused almost toppled him over, but he held.

When it passed, he gazed down the tunnel in horror.

The tunnels were almost collapsing and were clearly unstable. The rock was blackened with soot. Fire still clung to whatever it could touch. Smoke poured out from the chamber where the lab had been. Predaking couldn't move. He stood there in slack-jawed shock. Nothing could've survive the heart of that explosion…

He turned to the autobots, his optics lost their fear and were filled with hate. "What have you done to my brethren?"

The autobots said nothing, and glared at him unapologetically. They readied themselves for battle.

"What have you done?!" Predaking roared and charged them.

They fired at him, but he leapt into the air to land between them. The two split separate ways to avoid his collision as he smashed the ground where they had been. He went after Magnus, and swatted the blue mech into the air before turning to go after Wheeljack.

He picked Wheeljack up in his servos and threw him across the chamber. The autobot hit the cave wall and was suspended there for a moment, before he fell to the floor, dazed. Predaking quickly charged on the advantage. It never occurred to him to transform. Dragon form would make their demise easy. He wanted to tear them apart, with his own hands. The rage and hatred inside of him would not accept anything less.

Wheeljack groaned as he tried to get up. "Well then, let's dance."

Predaking pounced on his prey, but Wheeljack rolled out of the way at the last moment. He charged at the smaller mech, swiping his claws and pulverising every space where he went. But the autobot always managed to stay one step ahead, dodging aside at the last moment each time. Predaking growled in frustration and tried to swipe both hands for him. Wheeljack leapt high into the air and for a moment, Predaking lost a visual on him. That is, right until he felt a fist smash into the top of his helm and sent him crashing to the floor.

He tried to get up, but felt the autobot's fist connect with the underside of his jaw. He was sent spinning away, processor scrambled as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. A kick connected with his chest and pushed his back into the cave wall. He grunted at the impact.

Wheeljack was charging at him again, this time with a sword in each hand. Predaking growled, and as the autobot leapt for his throat, he moved aside. His fist came around and smashed into Wheeljack's back and crushed him against the wall. The small mech lay motionless, the swords dropping from his hands. Predaking threw him to the ground and began to pound his fist into the autobot's chest as hard as he could. Metal dented, he could hear machinery crunching, Wheeljack cried out in pain with each strike.

But something hit into his back and sent him flying forward. Predaking grunted in pain, air forced out of his vents from the blow that he tried to recover. But he rolled to his feet, his bearings coming to him faster now. He saw that it was Ultra Magnus who had struck him, a huge golden hammer in his hands that Predaking was familiar with. That weapon had given him plenty of nasty blows to the face one too many times, and he wanted it destroyed. As Magnus leapt for him with hammer raised high, Predaking swatted him out of the air.

He leapt after Magnus, who quickly picked his hammer back up and hit him out of the air. Predaking skipped several steps to control his landing. But he wobbled and almost lost his footing. He wasn't prepared for when Magnus hit him again and sent him into the cave wall. But he clung to it and shook his head. And with a roar, he launched himself back off of it and towards Magnus.

The autobot ducked underneath him, and Predaking's fist smashed only the rocky ground, a crater left where Magnus had been. Magnus hooked the hammer on his shoulder and pulled him forward face-first into the cave wall. Predaking pulled himself out, narrowly avoiding the hammer-blow that had been meant for his head. He grabbed Magnus and threw him away. The autobot crashed through several stalactites, and finally came to rest on the ground, groaning and unable to lift his head without shaking. Predaking picked up the autobot's hammer and promptly smashed him in the face with it. He raised it again to crush Magnus' helm –

A roar of an engine sounded behind him, and Predaking felt a shock of energy as Wheeljack sent an electrified whip to tangle with the hammer. His hand was stopped. The hammer was ripped from his grasp. Wheeljack – though looking dented and worse for wear – swung the hammer attached to the whip in a wide circle and threw it back into Predaking's face. He was sent sprawling, but stopped his momentum on a stalagmite. He used it as a launch pad to thrust himself back into the fight, right as Magnus and Wheeljack were headed right for him.

Wheeljack threw his swords at him, aimed for his face. Predaking held up an arm and the sword bit into the hard metal plating on his forearm. He didn't even register any pain. But as he took his hand away, he was confronted with the image of Wheeljack's whip attached to Magnus' hammer again. Predaking's optics widened.

He couldn't stop himself in time before the whip hit him in the face pulled him off his feet and onto his back. He got up to his knees and heaved in a breath. The rage was boiling over, and he needed a clear head. He allowed the anger to fuel the strength of his movements, but to never cloud his judgement. Primary coding dictated that that was the fastest way to get you killed. So he yanked out the swords from his arm and threw them away, before charging back into the fray.

He didn't expect Wheeljack to leap into the air and throw the whip at his face. The electricity threatened to short circuit his processor. He roared in pain, but the sound was muffled beneath the crackle of the lightning on the whip. Finally, he managed to pull it off, but not before he could avoid a knee to the face. He stumbled one way, only to be hit by a hammer from another direction. Again and again, they came at him from both sides. His processor was spinning; he couldn't recover between strikes.

Only when he stumbled out of their strike zone and into the cavewall was he able to get any bearings. He threw a lazy strike at Wheeljack, but the autobot leapt free. He heard them firing at him but didn't feel their gunfire hit him. It didn't occur to him until too late, when they shot a huge stalactite down from the ceiling.

Predaking roared beneath it. He lay pinned by the huge weight. Fury, pain and the animalistic drive to fight and conquer filled him. These lesser lifeforms were not worthy to best him, and he would show them that! Codes and battle strategies he had never known himself suddenly became familiar to him. His processor summoned them from the deep recesses of his memory banks, and he now knew a thousand different ways with which to win this fight. He didn't know where this new information came from, but he wasn't at liberty to care. Summoning every ounce of strength he had, he pushed the huge rock off of himself and threw it in the general direction of the autobots. He heard them cry out in shock and knew he'd found his targets.

Standing, heaving, optics scorching bright with hate, he picked up the stalactite and hefted it over his shoulder. He ran with it straight for Wheeljack and crushed the autobot beneath it. He turned to see Magnus crawling towards his fallen hammer. Predaking leapt into the air and summersaulted until he landed right on top of Magnus.

His foot came down on the autobot's servo. Magnus cried out with pain. Lip curled to show his teeth, Predaking lifted his foot and slammed it back down. Ultra Magnus screamed. Predaking heard the crunch and sparking of broken machinery. He twisted his foot further down just to be certain. When he lifted away, Magnus' hand lay in broken pieces over the floor. The autobot rolled onto his back, and cradled his now maimed appendage.

Cold calm settled over Predaking. His enemies lay defeated, unable to continue the fight. Now his anger had been sated, but his vengeance and hate had not. He walked over to the golden hammer that lay forgotten on the floor. He picked it up effortlessly. With deep breaths, he tried to push back the blinding fury. He wanted to be clear headed, he wanted to remember this moment, to savour it.

Wheeljack looked over at Ultra Magnus, hardly able to keep his optics open. "And here I was just beginning to tolerate ya…"

"It's been an honour serving beside you, soldier," Magnus whispered.

Predaking had had enough. He stood over Magnus and lifted his weapon over him. And broke it in two. Golden dust reigned on the fallen mech, and a whisper sounded on a breeze in the room, like a spirit had passed through. Magnus looked grieved as Predaking discarded the weapon on the floor.

"Prepare to perish." He lifted his claws high, ready to –

Something smashed into his back with such velocity that Predaking was thrown right across the room. He collided with boulders and stalagmites, each one crumbling on top of him when he finally lay in heap. He was dazed for a moment, but quickly came too when he heard blaster fire and rocks began to reign down around him. As they fell, he curled up and covered his head and waited for the fountain to stop. Once he felt it finally settle, a pile lay over him. A sweep of his arm, and he was free.

But his optics widened in outrage. The Prime, Optimus, had gathered up his soldiers in his arms and was flying with them out of the cave as fast as he could.

"What?! Noooo!" Predaking roared and charged after them.

He kept right on their tail as the Prime weaved through the tunnels and towards daylight. But when they reached the open, Optimus pushed his thrusters and set off at speed. Predaking was not about to let them escape. He leapt off of the ground and transformed mid-leap. With one great thrust of his wings, he was shooting after his enemies. He flew as fast as he possibly could, mandibles parting in a deafening screech.

Though he was gaining on the Prime, as quickly, it wasn't fast enough. A green portal opened up in front of the autobots. Predaking shot his fire in a desperate attempt to stop them, but Optimus had already gone through the groundbridge. Flapping his wings, Predaking tried to shoot in after them, but it snapped closed right before he could pass through. He spun in the air, and looked about for them. But it was no use. They were gone.

Throwing his head back, Predaking screamed his rage to the very heavens that surrounded him.

How dare the autobots show their traitorous faces here, and destroy the labs, his brethren and –

 _Miya!_

With a screech of panic, Predaking dove back towards the labs. He cursed himself in a thousand different tongues. He had been so blinded by anger and shock, so drawn into the fight, he hadn't even stopped to consider if there could be survivors. Miya had been in those labs, and she hadn't come out with Shockwave. Had she made it out in time? Might she still be alive?

It was the only thing keeping his spark going, that small hope. He landed and raced through the burning ruins of the tunnels and headed straight for them mine. As soon as he could, he transformed back into his mech form.

The lab was a blackened ruin. Smoke poured out, a vile, poisonous fume that had even Predaking coughing as his vents clogged under the strain. He couldn't get near the labs themselves, the molten metal that coated the place was still too hot from the explosion.

Desperation and panic made his voice break as he called out, "Miya? Miya! Answer me!"

He tried to get close, to search for survivors. He called out in his native tongue to any predacons that might still be functional. But nothing. Rubble was shifted aside as he dug in to try and find a body. But nothing. Eventually, it was too much even for him, and he had to stumble away, coughing and attempting to get the horrid smoke out of his body.

Fear filled him as he stood in the tunnel at a safe distance onto his brethren's destruction. His army, his species, the only hope for their survival had laid in that room. And now it was all destroyed. He couldn't find any trace of Miya. Horrific images assaulted his imagination to try to explain this. Had she been burned to ashes straight away in the explosion? Had the molten metal liquefied her and bound her to it? Had debris crushed her into a pulpy mess?

He hissed at himself and turned away, fists pressed against his eyes to try and un-see the horrid visions. Though he could not shed tears like humans, Predaking felt something choke his insides and made his frame shiver. He couldn't bear the thought of his little Miya that way, dead in any form, and he prayed to Primus that it wasn't so.

But then, he saw a glint at the bottom of the tunnel corner. It was still in the blast radius, debris had fallen over whatever twinkled in the flickering light of remaining flames. Transfixed, Predaking reached for it with a shaking servo. He knocked aside debris and rocks and beheld a little green dragon head attached to what remained of a string necklace.

It was Miya's. She'd never once taken it off for as long as he'd known her. She would never be parted from it. Yet here it lay, forgotten and sparkling like a drowning survivor signalling for rescue. Its lonely visage seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle for Predaking. As if without it being on its bearer, it meant that its bearer no longer lived.

Kneeling, he picked it up, and held it in his hands. He brought it to his face, and hunched over it. Grief and sorrow emenated from his spark in such massive waves, he thought he would actually begin to weep from the strength of it. In that moment, he wanted to die. His spark threatened to collapse and render him terminated. But it did not, and he was left with the agony of mourning his precious sparkling.

Oh, if only she hadn't been there! If only he'd left her on the ship that morning. If only he'd been faster to reach her. If he'd gone to her instead of the autobots, he might had saved her in time. Or if the autobots had just never found them…

His thoughts came to a slow stop. The sorrow gave way to blind, pure, annihilating rage. The autobots had done this. They massacred his brethren, and then killed an innocent child – _his_ child! He shook from the force of his anger. He promised himself in that moment, that the autobots would pay dearly for this. He vowed vengeance upon them, that he would take an eye for an eye, a life for a life. He wouldn't stop until he had each of them lying dead at his feet. The autobots would die.

He didn't know how he made it back to the Nemesis, or how he managed to stand on the bridge before Megatron and give his report. He was a vessel of shame and grief and rage. Tremors wrecked his frame, and he could barely keep himself from transforming and rampaging through the ship, through the whole world, until he was given his vengeance.

But Megatron listened, and he saw the state of his predacon, and so said, "Do not despair, my Predaking. For I vow to you that the Autobots will pay dearly for the outrage against your kind."

At least Megatron and the others were behind him with the blame falling upon the Autobots. Predaking was satisfied in the knowledge that retribution would come in spades.

Megatron turned slightly away. "Shockwave, report."

" _It is true, My Liege,"_ came Shockwave's voice over the comm. The scientist had been part of the first response team to attempt to go through the wreckage of the lab. Predaking had declined such a position. He couldn't bear to be in that place anymore. " _Project Predacon has been rendered null and void. At least, I have been unable to recover any beast forms. However, there is something you must behold for yourserlf…"_

Megatron then dismissed his soldiers and Predaking was glad to get away. He needed his own space in an attempt to escape his grief and drown his sorrows.


	23. Cybertron III

CYBERTRON III

* * *

The three predacons had flown as fast as their wings could carry them. It wasn't difficult to track their quarry, they just had to get ahead of them and get to the autobots. In another life, Predaking might have secretly rejoiced at the thought of flying in a pack. Darksteel and Skylynx were capable fliers, able to keep up with him no matter the pace he set. But he couldn't think of such things now.

It loomed ahead, the Nemesis, like an old acquaintance that watched him warily as he approached. He eyed it with just as much scepticism. This place had been his home for a long time, but it had also housed his enemy.

The three circled above the warship, and made their way towards the upper hull. Predaking knew that their scanners must have picked them up by now. It would only be a matter of time before they came out to engage him. He needed to hold their attention before that.

He landed on the flight deck, where he landed so many times. With only a glance and a growl, he bade Darksteel and Skylynx to remain back. They were under his charge now, and he would not have them come to unnecessary harm. They couldn't waltz right into the Nemesis, for the autobots might take it as a sign of attack. So, Predaking did as he had done long ago:

He walked up to the door, reared on his hind legs and smashed his forelegs into the metal. In other words, he knocked.

* * *

"I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting you to come around," said Bumblebee with a small chuckle as he led the way to the bridge.

Predaking stood straight and formal, dominating the room with but a glance. He found the scout to be rather irritating in his attempts to calm the tension with humour. The autobots eyed him and his fellow predacons with unease. He did exactly the same.

"But thanks for coming," the autobot said. "It means a lot."

"The world is ending, autobot," Predaking replied scathingly. "I would like it to continue existing for a little while longer. Besides, the terracons are made from the bones of my ancestors."

Arcee sank into a hip and said, "We know. Any advice on how to stop them?"

"Obliterate them."

"Right…" Buklhead groaned.

Smokescreen stepped forward. His optics narrowed in contempt at Darksteel and Skylynx. The younger predacons, though learning discipline, were still raring for a fight. It was only Predaking's presence that held them in check.

Finally, Smokescreen spoke up to Predaking. "Why help us? The last time you (or your cronies here) set optics on us, we were enemies…"

"It is my duty," Predaking answered stiffly, "to make sure the graves of my species are not sullied any more than they already have been."

Bumblebee nodded. "Ratchet said Unicron was going to use the Well of Allsparks to gain access to Primus. That's where we're headed now."

"So what do we do? I don't like the odds," growled Darksteel.

Predaking turned his head to regard his packmate out of the corner of his optic. "A predacon _makes_ the odds turn in his favour, Darksteel." He advised.

The pair of them bowed their heads immediately. "Yes, Predaking."

"We know it's not much of a plan," Bumblebee shrugged. "We thought we'd use the warship and any relics on-board."

"We had the immobiliser…" Arcee offered. She then cast a look at the red decepticon mec beside her. Predaking had to blink. He hadn't even realised the doctor was there. "Until Knockout here smashed it over Starscream's helm."

"I told you I was joining the winning team!" Knockout whined.

"At least with Screamer locked up," Bulkhead chuckled, "he's one less problem we have to worry about for now."

Predaking paused froze in place. A million thoughts clicked over that one sentence in his processor. Surely it couldn't mean what he thought? But it only could. The implications, the calculations, they all fit. Anger suddenly burned through the predacon so fiercely that he thought his chest would begin to glow. He felt betrayed by the autobots. They had his quarry and did not mention it at all until now! He turned to them and loomed over them all, his rigid control gone to be replaced with barely restrained bloodlust.

"Starscream… is here?" he growled. When he received no answer, he shouted: "On this ship?!"

"Well, yeah, down in the cells," Bulkhead stuttered.

Predaking turned on his heel and stormed back towards the doors. Even Darksteel and Skylynx jumped out of his way. They seemed as perplexed as the others at what had gotten into their king. But the only one who was fool enough to get in Predaking's way, was the little yellow and black scout.

He stood in front of him, servos splayed out, optics wide. "Whoa! Wait! Where are you going?"

"To tear that rust-stained bot apart!" Predaking was surprised his voice was even coherent, it sounded so much like an animal's vicious snarl.

"No, Predaking, wait!" Bumblebee tried to pull him back when he made to brush past him. "We need to stay focused. Starscream can wait until later."

"It will NOT!" he shouted. He turned on the autobot and clamped his sharp servos into his shoulder. He lifted the scout into the air effortlessly, and brought him close to his bared teeth. "I will see that scrap-heap's spark ripped from his chest. If you try to stop me, I'll do the same to you."

He heard a familiar hum, and noticed that all the autobots in the room had primed their weapons and were aimed for him. Skylynx and Darksteel retaliated in kind. Predaking also morphed his free hand into a blaster. If this alliance was to end so quickly, then so be it. But he would have his vengeance.

"Predaking… would Miya want this?" Bumblebee asked in a quiet voice that stilled everyone.

Smokescreen snorted derisively. "As if he ever cared what she wanted!"

Predaking rounded on the young autobot and roared. "More than you would ever know!"

"Then would she want to see you become this?" Bumblebee pressed.

For the first time, Predaking faltered. Would Miya want this? Would she be disappointed in him? Would she hate him if she could see him now? The very thought filled his spark with such pain his knees nearly buckled. He put the autobot down, lost in his own thoughts.

It wasn't a case of if Miya approved, not any longer. This had to happen because there was no other path for him. There was no other road to redemption. The very thought of Starscream sent rage fuelling through every cable in his system. But Miya's innocent face surfaced once more. What would she possibly think of him?

He glanced back at the scout, his voice hollow and quiet. "I _need_ my vengeance. It is all that has kept me functioning. If I do not… I will never live with myself."

Predaking was most surprised when Bumblebee placed a hand on his forearm, as if they had been comrades for centuries. "Then I'll promise you this: Deal with Unicron now… and I'll let you have Starscream."

The reaction was immediate.

"What?!" Arcee gasped.

"Bee!" Smokescreen exclaimed.

Predaking was immediately suspicious and narrowed his optics. "An Autobot trick?"

"No trick." Bumblebee shook his head. "We're allies now. That means compromise."

He held out his hand as if he meant for Predaking to shake it. But he did not. Instead he loomed over the smaller mech, yellow optics ablaze. He was the very image of pending violence, of retribution to bargains broken.

His voice was a deadly whisper. "I will hold you to that."


	24. Predacon's Grief

Predacon's Grief:

* * *

The entirety of Team Prime waited anxiously. The bots sat, stood, leaned, as still as stone, as if they had gone into recharge with their optics still wide open. Their human companions, however, were more fidgety. Miko banging her foot on the wall behind her in a never ending rhythm. Jack paced a small corner of the base, arms crossed over his chest. Raf worked at his computer without really seeing what he was doing, just because it was something to do.

They all held their nerves in different ways. The day had been a shocker for all of them. They'd not been prepared for this outcome.

Only Ratchet moved. He filtered about looking for tools and equipment that he needed throughout the long and arduous process. Optimus Prime looked on not far away, a silent vigil taken up as the leader of the team felt the weight of this responsibility fall on his massive shoulders. Ever melancholy and reserved, he watched Ratchet move almost seamlessly between two patients.

One was Ultra Magnus. The other, an unknown human girl.

When Smokescreen had burst through the Ground-bridge back to Unit E and revealed his passenger, there had been a little confusion on what to do. Agent Fowler had instinctively gone to summon an ambulance, but after getting over his shock, Ratchet had stopped him. It was clear that the girl suffered from injuries that were caused by Cybertronian Technology, so therefore, an expert on the matter needed to treat her. Yet even with Ratchet's extensive knowledge of human anatomy he downloaded from the worldwide web, he still needed advice. So, Jack's mother was called in to assist him.

Where this girl had come from, or what she had been doing on the premises of a secret Decepticon laboratory, Optimus did not know. He hoped that he would one day soon have the opportunity to find out. But all he could do now, was wait.

The girl lay on a bed, most of her body covered in bandages and wires and tubes which Mrs Darby was still applying to her. Machines were hooked to her and beeped consistently from different readings. Ratchet had only just stopped his tireless work on the child. When she'd been brought in, she'd been on the brink of death – and from the look on Mrs Darby's face… that was still a possibility.

Now, Ratchet had set to work fixing Ultra Magnus. He'd had to do a rough patch when he'd first been brought in to try and stop the energon leakage. Now, he had the time to do it properly. Ultra Magnus was barely coherent as Ratchet finished his work soldering a metal plate across his knuckles. The fingers were gone, and with limited cybertronian recourses, it was feared that wouldn't be able to replace them.

The predacon had proven to be more than a match for the seasoned warrior and had come too close to demonstrating his deadly skill. Optimus considered it fortunate that he'd been able to take the predacon by surprise when he did, and get away just as quickly.

He almost couldn't bear the look of utter dejection on his old friend's face when he looked at what was left of his hand. He offered comfort, and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ratchet will take good care of you."

Ultra Magnus said nothing. His blue optics only looked away in shame.

Seeing their comrade come around, the other autobots slowly came to life. They looked up at him, they stood, they turned to face him. Relief flooded each of their faces.

Wheeljack look down, still clutching his dented chest-plate. After a moment, he nodded his head and looked up to where Ultra Magnus lay. "Magnus fought like a Wrecker."

Optimus couldn't be more proud of his fellow bot in that moment. He knew of the animosity that had previously existed between the pair, but felt that their shared near-death experience had helped to clear the air. He was glad that Wheeljack could stand above his pride and step up to the plate – as the human expression went.

"Optimus…" he heard Ultra Magnus groan, and turned to look at him again. "when we spoke earlier… what could be greater than an army?"

"A human concept. One I have learned since coming to earth." Said the Prime. Magnus waited for his answer, and Optimus looked up at his fellow bots as they crowded around their fallen comrade. "Family."

"We'll need more than that if that predacon keeps dishing out punishments like this," Ratchet warned them gravely. His frame rattled with a shiver of fear. "Had you been seconds later, Optimus… I don't care to think what might've happened."

Bulkhead slammed a fist into his other hand. "We didn't know he could transform. He took us by surprise, it won't happen again."

"The predacon and the decepticons have shown us their vindictive ferocity today," said Optimus. "We will need to be careful in the future."

"It just seem… odd," Smokescreen murmured. "I mean, why transform now? What set him off?"

Arcee's optics narrowed. "And why were we allowed to get that close to their cloning labs in the first place…"

Optimus took their questions into account. They made good points. He turned and looked down on the other little patient they had taken in, laying lifelessly in her bed. "The Decepticons have left us with a lot of unanswered questions…"

"Hey, Doc?" Miko asked as she came to stand tentatively next to Mrs Darby. "Will she… will she make it?"

Ratchet looked from the beloved girl to his new patient. He looked genuinely afraid of the answer. "I… I don't know, Miko. I don't know…"

* * *

In the days that followed, Predaking did not leave his chambers. He was inconsolable with grief, and often merely lost himself to fits of recharge and rage. Most of the ship crew stayed far away from him. His quarters hardly resembled what they once were, the walls had been gouged to shreds, the floors blasted and nearly melted by fire, the ceiling dented and hanging loose from strikes.

But on the third day, he was summoned. Megatron made it clear that he was not to be denied, even if his voice sounded a little sympathetic. Predaking had dragged himself up to the bridge to face his master. He pieced his shattered self together in order to form coherent thoughts and shuffled his way there in a daze. The world no longer had meaning for him, except for one burning need in his spark: vengeance. So he treated the world as such, he didn't interact with it unless that call was to be fulfilled.

When he came before his liege-lord, his posture was as straight and regal as ever. His shell appeared indifferent. But his optics were darker, duller, his lips twisted down until it constantly looked like he was about to snarl. His very aura radiated misery and a mere word away from chaotic violence.

"Predaking," Megatron greeted him with a nod of respect. He stepped into the predacon's deadly aura, almost without blinking. "We will soon plot our strike against the autobots. To punish them for the massacre of your kind."

The fire in Predaking's spark burned at the thought of spilling autobot blood. It gave him a little purpose, a little focus. It wasn't enough to bring him back fully, but it was enough to ground him, and that was all he needed.

"While I fully intend to exact my revenge," he said as he normally would, but his voice was hollow. That's all it was at the moment, a charade. "Project Predacon was merely a squadron. Not an army."

Megatron's eyes narrowed. "I see…"

"My Liege, if you truly aspire to restore our homeworld, then I have every faith that you will resurrect the entirety of the predacon race from the remains which lie there. So that I may lead them against any and all of our shared enemies."

That thought, that hope, that prayer, had been the only comfort that had arisen from his dreams in recharge. He'd lost his brethren on earth, he'd lost his sparkling. The only solace now, came in the form that the future might not be as desolate and lonely as the present. He dreamed of long-awaited brothers-in-arms surrounding him, welcoming him. And then of an army sharing in his rage at their lost princess and scouring the universe for her killers and ripping them apart piece by piece…

Megatron did not answer straight away, and when he did his words were chosen carefully. "Once Cybertron is restored to its full glory, I shall indeed do everything in my power to make sure our shared goal is realised…"

Predaking nodded. The dream was a distant one, but one that he knew would come true.

"Starscream," Megatron barked over Predaking's shoulder. "Report to the bridge."

Realising he was dismissed, Predaking bowed and turned to make his quick exit. Just pretending to be functional for that long had exhausted him. He realised he hadn't consumed his rations of energon since the massacre. He needed it now. Desperately.

Starscream passed him on his way to Megatron. Predaking didn't spare him a second glance. But the seeker took notice of him. As they came parallel with each other, the second in command stopped, his optics brightening as a smirk made its way up his face.

"I see you've managed to acquire a new addition for your amour, beast?" came the snide remark.

Predaking froze mid-step, his servos instantly came up to his chest to hover protectively. Hung next to his own predacon insignia was a little green dragon-head. A thin metal wire had replaced the leather cord and been soldered to his armour. It was now as much a part of him as his own plates. He'd put it there the night he'd returned from the massacre. There was no place else for it.

He could _hear_ Starscream grinning behind him. "Well, I suppose a primitive sort would keep a trophy collection, hmm? Will you keep the collars of all your pets once they've expired?"

Starscream laughed to himself at his own joke.

Needless to say, Predaking didn't find it so funny. A sane mind would've believed that sanity itself left him in that moment.

His roar was loud enough to make the room shake. He spun and clamped his servos on Starscream's shoulder. He hauled him back and brought the screaming seeker face to face with him. Starscream flailed and tried to pry him off, but the predacon's strength was too great. He took hold of the decepticon's chassis and squeezed. Starscream's optics widened in terror, he felt the sharp servos pierce him and felt his framing begin to crumble. The predacon meant to crush his spark chamber!

"Master! _Master!_ " he squeaked out pathetically.

Megatron didn't say anything for a long moment. Then, he turned his cold optics onto his beast. "Predaking. Release him."

It took Predaking a moment to realise that he'd just been given an order. It took a second longer for him to battle aside his rage and follow that order. He tossed Starscream aside, and the seeker fell to the floor with a shriek. Without another word, Predaking turned and stormed out of the room.

* * *

The world was too dark for Miya, it was heavy, suffocating, but warm and comforting at the same time. She could see the light behind her eyelids and it bothered her. She wanted to move but her limbs felt so heavy. Her mind and tongue felt fluffy, thick, unable to move. It all irritated her, and she awoke more sour then tired.

But merely opening her eyes felt like too much. She was exhausted, she felt like she could go right back to sleep. The world didn't feel right though, sounds were muted, her face felt too warm. Her skin touched soft cloth against her face. She felt confused. What had happened to her in her sleep?

Her vision was blurry, but shapes were becoming more distinguishable around her. She looked down, and began to panic.

She was in a bed of some sorts. A blanket came up to her chest. Her arms were over it and strapped down, but they were wrapped like a mummy in white bandages. Tubes and wires stuck out of the white cloth attached to her and hooked her up to machines. With her racing heart, the machines made a lot of alarming noise.

She couldn't move, for a moment she couldn't breathe. What was happening? Where was she? Where was Predaking?!

A loud footfall, and she looked over… and _up_.

Tall robotic people were around her, and none whom she recognised. Miya's panic only spiralled further out of control. Were these more Decepticons that wanted to toy with her or kill her? She noticed the Sigel on the chest of the largest robot closest too her: a red robot-face.

Autobot. Predaking had told her enough of them for her to know that they were the enemy! They would hurt her, hurt Predaking! She tried to worm away from them, but she couldn't move. Both due to her exhausted body and because she was currently tied down to the bed.

"There is no need to fear," said the large red and blue robot closest to her, a deep rumbling voice that reminded her of a president and an engine all rolled into one. It was filled with authority, but it was calming.

But she was not fooled. The autobots had many tricks – she'd been told that. She wouldn't be pulled under by them!

"Hey, chillax dudette," came a voice. Miya looked to her right and was startled to see three children near her own age standing by her bedside. The one who had spoken was an Asian girl with dark hair and a pink strip along the fringe. "Your machine's going haywire."

Miya stared at them. What was this? Holograms? Conjurations that the autobots put up to trick her? But they looked and sounded so real. What were they doing with the autobots? This didn't make any sense!

"Whoa, it's okay… take a deep breath," said an older boy softly.

A younger boy with red hair and glasses gave her a small smile. "They're not gonna hurt you."

Miya's eyes found the red and white robot with confusion. He said to her calmly, "My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

She didn't know what kind of game the autobots were playing, but she had to play along, for her own safety. God, she wished her Predaking were here.

"M-Mi…" she tried to croak out, but her voice refused to work properly. Her tongue felt too big for her mouth, her throat too tight. She coughed and forced out a choked whisper. "Miya."

If she wasn't already shocked enough, Optimus gave her a tiny encouraging smile. "Hello Miya. You have my word: no harm will come to you here. You're safe now."

She looked around them. They seemed to be in a huge warehouse or hanger of some sort. "Wh-where…?"

"You are in a place called Unit E, where us Autobots work in close contact with your human authorities."

Miya didn't believe it for a moment. Even if she did, she didn't like the thought of being in the custody of the people she'd been desperately running away from when she'd been landed in this huge mess. She shifted away from Optimus Prime, imaging a scowl on her face as she couldn't tell if she was or not.

"Autobot… hurt… me."

"I can assure you, Miya, the Autobots and I do not wish to hurt you." Optimus' voice was always patient, always kind. It was difficult to resist such a grandfatherly sound. Miya's eyes watched him carefully. He gestured to the three humans on her other side. "These are our friends: Rafael, Jack, and Miko. We work with them to help keep your planet safe from the Decepticon threat."

The girl in the hospital bed blinked and frowned. She felt so confused. Predaking had told her the Autobots were his enemies. They couldn't be what Optimus claimed if that was true. Had he lied to her? No! He wouldn't. But maybe it was a big misunderstanding? She doubted that Predaking could ever get something so wrong, and it wasn't in her nature to trust implicitly so soon. What if this was an autobot trick, and she was falling for it? Her brain hurt from thinking it all over.

"Miya," Optimus' voice brought her back to the present. "When we found you, you were badly hurt in a Decepticon cloning facility. Do you know that?"

Memories came to her. Her heart began to race again. The pain – such pain, she could feel a phantom of it sear across her body even now. Her breathing heaved. She wriggled her hand out of the loop that tied it to the bed and reached up for the bandages that she now knew covered her face.

What had happened to her? Why was she so bandaged up like this? Her fingernails dug into the white fabric and attempted to claw it off.

"No." Optimus said gently. A servo reached across hover over her. He didn't touch her, silently knowing that that boundary wasn't ready to be crossed. Yet still, Miya's hand froze. "Your injuries are not yet healed. Rest assured that our medic is working tirelessly to make sure you make a full recovery."

She felt like crying as her hand flopped uselessly back to the bed. She wanted to know what had been done to her, but at the same time she didn't. And through it all, she kept wondering where was Predaking? Did he know what had happened? Was he looking for her? Was he not?

Once again, Optimus spoke. "Miya, I need to know what you were doing in that mine. Why were you there? What did the Decepticons want with you?"

"I want my King." She croaked. It was a feeble plea. Somewhere in her brain, she recognised that telling them exactly who she wanted would grant her no favours, and would only earn her trouble.

"Did you have anything they wanted?"

"My King."

Optimus's blue optics turned sad, and his voice was the gentlest she'd ever heard it. "Please Miya… did they hurt you? How long were you with them? I just want to know the truth."

She met his stare, and tears filled her eyes as she allowed the longing to fill her voice. "Please… I want my King."

Optimus stared at her, obviously disappointed but he did not show it. Miya was thankful when he didn't press her for more answers. Instead, he nodded his understanding and slowly stood to his full imposing height. Miya thought he'd be almost as tall as her Predaking.

His smile returned. "I promise you, Miya, we'll get to the bottom of this. For now, sleep."

Silently, he ushered away Miko, Jack and Rafael from her bedside and walked away. He didn't know if Miya did actually return to sleep, for he could feel her eyes on his back, watching him as he walked away. He met across the warehouse with the other autobots so that she wouldn't overhear them.

"She's definitely suffering from post-traumatic-stress," Ratchet murmured thoughtfully, a hand on his chin. "Likely the result of her shock, injuries, confusion and whatever horrors the Decepticons inflicted on her."

Smokescreen nodded. "Definitely cookoo then."

Ratchet responded by taking his trusty wrench and bashing it over Smokescreen's helm. "She's traumatised, you scrap-heap!"

The younger mech leapt back from the blow, rubbing his head with an affronted look.

The others ignored him. Bulkhead was the first to speak. "You think she'll ever talk?"

"If she does," said Arcee, "we won't get it out of her today. We need her trust."

"Agreed." Optimus nodded. "Her healing injuries will only further aggravate her stress. I believe it's best if we give her as much stability as possible, to keep her safe and calm. At least until she's healed, we'll keep her on the base, and see if we can learn anything useful. We can decide if that changes further in the future."

They bowed their heads in agreement. "Yes, Sir."

"Smokescreen." Optimus turned to the young Mech. "You will be in charge of Miya's welfare."

The young bot's optics widened, his jaw looked ready to hit the floor. "What?!"

"Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee already have their companions. Miya will be yours. Gain her trust, befriend her. She's yours to watch over."

They all turned and walked away, leaving Smokescreen to stand there, completely dumbfounded.

"Scrap."


	25. Predacon's Racer

Predacon's Racer:

* * *

Several days later, Miya's injuries had healed enough for her bandages to be taken off.

She'd almost thrown up.

It was hideous.

Scars mottled her flesh all the way down her right arm, across her chest and up the right side of her neck. It even encroached onto the corners of her face. Angry, twisted, putrid pink and red marks that appeared like the flames that had made them had frozen their prints onto her skin. Miya had never been vain before. She'd never been a popular pretty girl in school. But even she had to realise that these scars made her horrendous to behold. What's worse, was that she couldn't feel anything. The nerves had been burned away. All she could feel was a slight numbness when she got too cold or too hot. Her fingers were weak and couldn't grasp anything, and she couldn't feel it in her hand even if she wanted to.

The tears wouldn't stop. She didn't sob, not in front of these strangers that surrounded her. But the droplets of water that streamed from her eyes refused to be held back. The autobots respected her want for space, and held back the humans that only wanted to comfort her. Miya didn't want them. She just held her useless arm against her chest and rocked back and forth softly in the corner. She wished she were in Predaking's arms. Just held in his hands would've made everything better. Or her mom… she really wanted her mom to hold her…

She thought back on the days since she'd awoken, to everything leading up to this moment.

It hadn't been long before she was fit to get out of bed and walk about. She believed Optimus Prime when he promised not to hurt her, that she was safe at the base. It was still so confusing, to think continuously of all the times that Predaking warned her about them, only to be completely contradicted here. But for now, she gave them the benefit of the doubt. She didn't have much of a choice.

But that didn't mean she was all cosy with them. She distanced herself from everyone at the base. She hardly spoke to anyone unless absolutely necessary. But over time, she found she liked hanging out near Ratchet. He was quiet and didn't ask prodding questions. Miya was grateful. She felt like she needed that after everything that had happened. Ratchet felt safe and comfortable.

It wasn't long before she watched him make repairs to the other autobots, including the big blue one, Ultra-Magnus, who was recovering from his injury. One day, she even helped out a little by handing Ratchet his over-sized tools when performing a basic patch-job. She spoke to Ratchet more than the others. He was impatient and easily frustrated but he had a good spark. And just to keep her happy, he let her help him out medically, and even let her learn to perform basic first-aid for autobots. Miya was small enough to get to the hard to reach places that Ratchet could not. It helped the girl feel useful.

The sportscar who called himself Smokescreen didn't seem too happy. Miya had noticed that more than all the others, he was the one who tried to talk to her the most. He was always trying to joke around with her, or ask if she do something with him like play games or listen to rock music together. Miya was a bit confused about why he was trying so hard. She didn't feel uncomfortable with it, she could tell that he was really trying to earn her trust.

But she was reluctant. She couldn't form an attachment to him. She couldn't let him in. No matter how many times he tried to make conversation with her. It wasn't right to do that and then run as soon as she got the chance. She had a predacon to return to, after all. And what if something happened to Smokescreen? What if something happened to her? Her near death experience put far too much fears and worries in her head already without adding more to it.

However, Smokescreen never once gave up. And eventually, his luck held and he had a break through. And it just so happened to be on the day she peeled off her bandages.

As Miya sat in the corner, crying, she heard the heavy mechanical footsteps as Smokescreen approached her. He knelt beside her, and she could feel his optics run all over her.

"Hey, fleshy, don't cry," he murmured softly. Miya quickly looked away and attempted to hide the offending water-droplets that ran down her face. "It's not that bad, hey? Look it this way – I say those are way-cool battlescars."

"Smokescreen!" Miya heard Arcee hiss.

But the younger bot didn't seem to hear his teammate. "See, that's one thing you fleshies have that we don't. You can get all scratched up and keep them. You walk around with proof that you're tough. Mechs can just buff and polish it out. But this –" he gestured to her scars. "– this isyour battlescar. That makes you a warrior."

"Cut it out!" Bulkhead snapped and pulled the younger mech up away from the girl. "What in the name of Primus you trying to do?"

"What? I just thought–"

Arcee cut him off angrily. "You can't just point out those things. It's insensitive, you scrap-heap!"

"Actually…" came a little voice. All three turned and were surprised when Miya looked up, cheeks stained red from tears, and gave a small smile to Smokescreen. "I kinda like it. I think I wanna be a warrior… just this once."

Smokescreen beamed.

* * *

What was the human word for it? Alcoholism?

Predaking didn't know if cybertronians could become alcoholics in the same sense, but he was doing his best to give that impression.

Something that both humans and cybertronians had in common: they believed that parents shouldn't outlive and bury their children. It was unnatural, and left a feeling of hollow emptiness behind. A feeling of failure.

It was all too much. The anger, the grief, the sorrow, the emptiness… he couldn't do it anymore. His processor was overloading and his spark felt like it was close to off-lining. He needed an outlet, a way to take away all the hurt he felt. Seeing as he couldn't do it through violence as Shockwave and Megatron were taking their time developing a method to save their home-planet, Predaking found other ways.

He took to consuming pure high-grade Energon. It did a number to his systems, and he almost half-sparked out. Soon gaps began to form in his memory-banks, and his calibration software began to grow tilted in their codes. But it made his processor blank for a brief time of bliss where he couldn't think or feel anything. It was a great way to forget. But obviously he had to wake up eventually. And it was never a pretty sight to see a "hungover" dragon.

It was after one of these episodes, that Predaking awoke to find himself no longer aboard the Nemesis. He was in a forest, in dragon form. He must've flown there, and that revelation made him wonder at why he wasn't a pile of twisted metal from a bad landing.

This place seemed familiar. Despite the ache in his head, he trudged through the trees, until eventually they receded and left him somewhere he didn't expect. He was standing at the top of a hill, with a single blossom tree growing on its own beside him. The hill overlooked a great flatland for miles around, untamed wilderness as far as the eye could see. It was very familiar.

It was their secret place… _Miya's_ secret place…

A memory flashed up from his data-banks, unbidden:

 _"This can be our secret place."_

 _The Predacon tilted his head at her like an owl, wanting her to clarify what she meant by that._

 _"A place only we know of," The girl explained, her grin becoming wider with every passing second in excitement. "Somewhere that's special, where we can come and just… be us. It will be our secret place."_

He was whimpering even before he came back to the present. He squeezed his optics shut. His spark hurt so much, he thought he would self-terminate. But for the first time in days… he wanted to feel it. This pain, this grief, it would carry him on. It would be what fuelled him to take his vengeance upon those that had taken her from him. But it would also keep her with him.

Cautiously, he reached up with a claw to gently touch the green-dragon necklace welded to his armour. No, he didn't want to forget her. And if mourning his sparkling was the only way that he could remember her… then he'd gladly take the pain.

Slowly, he tipped his head back to the sky and roared out his grief with everything he had.

* * *

It was evening. Smokescreen made sure that Hanger E was mostly empty before he carefully made his way over to Miya in his alt-mode. The car stopped right in front of her, and the door opened by itself like an offering to her. He would've laughed at the girl's confused expression if he wasn't trying his hardest to keep a low profile.

"Get in." his voice whispered out through the car's speakers.

"What? Why?" she asked.

He couldn't keep his excitement in. "I'm taking you out."

She blinked, dumbfounded. "But… I thought I wasn't…"

"What Optimus don't know can't hurt him. Now quick! Before we get caught."

The girl hastily got in the car. As soon as she was strapped in, Smokescreen gunned the engine the entire way until they were out of the base and onto the freeway. Miya looked all around them out the windows at the passing landscape. Night had drawn in, and the roads were beginning to filter down to an empty shell. Smokescreen made a point to keep half a mind focused on the girl, and monitored almost everything about her.

"Hey, don't worry kid." His voice said softly, reassuringly. "I promise: I'll make you smile."

"How?" she asked sullenly.

"I got a few ideas…"

He'd learned his lesson well from when Jack had briefly been his partner. But he felt like he could bend the rules just this once… So, pushing the gas pedal to the floor, he accelerated with a lurch and a ferocious roar of his engine. They shot forward and sped down the long straight road.

Miya gasped and instinctively held onto any handhold she could reach. Her eyes widened, and her pulsed raced. But Smokescreen's scanners weren't picking up any signs of distress. And he was even a little confused when he saw a small smile begin to work its way across her face.

She wasn't terrified. She was exhilarated. "Do it!"

He hooted his appreciation. He knew he'd judged her right. Maybe this babysitting-gig wouldn't be so bad after all.

Autobot and girl raced down the highway. Few cars were on the road as the night wore on. They raced invisible enemies that existed only in their minds. They cheered and laughed when they tried to overtake the occasional truck that they had to pass. Smokescreen attempted to reach huge speeds with the girl, and she easily kept up with them all. Never once did she hesitate or ask him to stop. It was like she was used to this kind of adrenaline dump.

And slowly, it seemed like those dark circles of loneliness melted just a tiny bit. The lines around her eyes seemed less. And her scars were not as prominent.

But of course, their fun had to be ruined. Optimus Prime's voice thundered across the radio. _"_ _Smokescreen. Report to base. Now."_

Immediately, Smokescreen slowed. His engine even huffed a sigh. "Scrap."

The pair returned to base with their tails tucked between their legs – or so the human saying went. Smokescreen assured Miya over and over again that she wouldn't get in trouble. He'd take the wrap for it. But it was still kind of intimidating to see a prime glowering down at them as they rolled into the hanger. Smokescreen waited for Miya to unbuckle herself and climb out, before transforming.

He was surprised when she turned around and offered him a slight smile. "Thanks for the ride, Smokescreen. Took a load off me." She turned and nodded respectfully to the autobot leader. "Optimus."

And then she turned and walked away. Already, her step seemed lighter.

Smokescreeen was fully prepared to get handed a new exhaust-pipe. Optimus looked like he wanted to rip his paint-job off and feed it to him. He winced and braced himself for the worst. However, he was completely unprepared for when he felt a large hand clap him on the shoulder. He looked up to see Optimus' small, proud smile.

"Well done."

Smokescreen couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face.


	26. Predacon's Friend

Predacon's Friend

* * *

"Prime."

The voice had everyone in the base turning. Miya looked up from where she played cards with Smokescreen, Jack and Miko. She'd been starting to enjoy herself. The other teenagers at the base were not as bad as she'd feared, and they'd been patient. Smokescreen had been adamant for her to trust them. So Miya had tried to get on with them for his sake, and surprised herself at how… _normal_ she was beginning to feel.

But all that changed when they looked up and saw Agent Fowler stroll into the base, with two strangers at his back. Despite the fact that the Autobots lived in a military base, they were rarely bothered by other humans that didn't have strict access. This sudden change had Miya tensing. A phantom pain shivered down her burned and scarred arm. She was only relieved slightly, when Optimus stepped up towards the strangers, always first to defend his charges.

"What is it, Agent Fowler?" he asked in that ever deep and soothing voice. "Who are these men?"

A man with impeccable dark hair and stubble dressed in a suit stepped ahead of Fowler before he could speak, and produced a badge. "My name is Mr Wallow, from the Central Intelligence Agency."

"And I'm Mr Durnham," said the second stranger, with a balding head and dressed in a grey suit. "From International Social Service."

Miya froze.

Optimus's optics narrowed ever so slightly. "I fear I do not quite understand…"

"Sorry, Prime," Agent Fowler murmured and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I couldn't hold them off any longer."

"What do you mean?"

The other autobots were becoming aware of the tension, and began to slowly step towards their leader. Ratchet was the one who spoke out as he looked between the two strangers and his Prime. "Optimus? What's going on?"

Mr Wallow's face was impassive. "We're here for Miya Carter."

"Miya?" Miko demanded.

"What's she done?" Jack jumped in.

"What do you want her for?" Smokescreen asked sharply.

Wallow's eyes were hard, his voice even harder. "We know of the girl's extensive stay with the enemy Decepticons."

Optimus threw Fowler a look. The man at least had the decency to look shame-faced. "I had to put it in my report…"

"We've allowed her medical leave," Wallow gestured towards Miya, and the girl shrank away. "But we at the CIA need answers now. The girl was a prisoner of the cons. She knows something. We need to get it out of her."

"What?!" Smokescreen yelled. "You wanna interrogate her? No way!"

Bulkhead vented, sounding just as angry. "Since when did human authorities start to pick on little kids?"

Optimus, ever diplomatic, spoke calmly. "Surely this is not necessary?"

"That's not all we're here for, Mr Prime, sir." Mr Durnham murmured. He took a handkerchief from his pockets and wiped it across his forehead, apparently uncomfortable under the alien scrutiny. "Once Mr Wallow here and the CIA have their answers, I'm here to make sure Miya is placed back into the system."

Arcee spoke out the confusion that every other autobot felt. "System?"

But Miya understood, and it filled her with a shock of panic. Heat shot to her wrists and throat, her belly flipped and her heart raced. As if things hadn't been bad enough already, now she had this? She couldn't take it. She was suffocating! She couldn't go back to that, she just couldn't! It wasn't possible. So filled with fear was she that she responded straight away to the flight response within.

" _No_!" the scream tore from her throat, loud enough to deafen everyone in the hanger. She turned and ran.

"Stop her!" she heard Wallow shout.

Her injuries were either too great or the shock was too much. As she ran, the world spun and she threatened to fall over. She could hear the pounding footsteps of someone running after her. The adrenaline strengthened her a little.

A loud crash made the ground shake and she stumbled. She looked over her shoulder, and saw Bulkhead stamped foot right behind her, blocking the way for the agent that had pursued her. The autobot sent a withering glare down at the human. Ultra Magnus and Arcee stepped up beside him.

Wallow spluttered, but seemed infuriated to be intimidated by the robotic aliens. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Miya lurched to her feet and ran again. A shrill cry was building in her throat. She couldn't take it. She couldn't be anywhere near them. But as she ran, the massive form of Smokescreen stepped in front of her. For a horrible moment, she thought he was going to stop her, to hand her over to the agents. In that moment, all the stories Predaking had told her, all the tales of how the autobots were the enemy, it all came flooding back. She wanted to cry and scream.

But then, Smokescreen picked her up and suddenly began to fold and change around her. She had the horrid sensation of being turned around and flipped and thrown, like being spun in a washing machine. It reminded her of when Predaking had transformed around her and placed her in his spark-chamber. It had been dizzying then, and it was dizzying now. One moment she had been in Smokescreen's hand, and then the next moment she was sitting inside the car-version of him, strapped in to the passenger seat. She heard the click as Smokescreen locked his doors, and his engine revved angrily like a big cat growling a warning. In an instant, she forgot her moment of doubt, and felt nothing but gratitude towards the autobot that now kept her from harm.

Yet all it took was a look outside at the agents that the autobots were still dealing with, and the fear was back. "Smokescreen – please! Don't let them!"

"It's okay, Miya," his voice came out through the radio, soothing but firm in his promise. "No one's gonna make you go anywhere. I won't let them – that is, not unless you want to?"

"I don't!"

"Good."

She wondered why Smokescreen didn't just race off with her, that's what Predaking would've done. But it seemed that the autobot was unwilling to do that, and was waiting for orders. It did nothing but make her more agitated. Yet stuck in the car, she couldn't do anything. All she could do was watch and wait.

Mr Wallow was turning red with anger as he scowled up at Bulkhead. "I warn you, alien! Stand down!"

"You're not my commanding officer," the large autobot snapped back. "And you're not getting the girl."

"Bulkhead…" warned Optimus gently. Bulkhead hesitated a moment, but stepped aside. "I'm afraid officers, that I cannot allow you to take the girl at this time."

"And why not?"

"Miya is _my_ patient!" Ratchet snapped as he stepped forward with his trusty wrench, a familiar scowl on his face. "She suffered heavy injuries as a result of the cons. Your earth-technology could not possibly care for her if her condition were to take a turn for the worse. Not to mention the fact that her mental condition is still unstable. I am still monitoring her. It is preposterous to take her away from her care!"

Wallow sneered. "I'm sure she'll be fine amongst her _own kind_."

Wheeljack did the robot equivalent of cracking his knuckles. "I don't think I like that attitude, punk!"

"Stand down, soldier," Ultra Magnus snapped out. "If it means peaceful co-operation with the natives of this planet, then we must adhere to their rules."

Bumblebee shook his hands vigorously. " _Beep-doop! Burr-bop-beep-beep-rrwwrr_!"

"I agree with Bee," Arcee nodded. "We can't."

"Enough." Optimus's voice cut across the squabbling like a knife through butter. Everyone became silent and turned to him for the final decision. Miya found herself holding her breath and praying to whatever god would listen. "Mr Wallow, Mr Durnham. I understand your need for answers. But it is my belief that Miya will no more open up to you. Perhaps even less so."

"How do you figure that?" Wallow asked peevishly.

"Miya has shown worrying behavioural signs of being distrustful towards other humans. She seems to be more comfortable when around Cybertronians, for whatever reason."

"I can attest to that!" Miko agreed loudly. "She's only _just_ starting to talk to us."

Wallow snorted. "It sounds to me like Stockholm Syndrome."

"Be that as it may," Optimus said patiently. "I think that Miya will be more willing to reveal information only to us. In due time."

There was a tense moment. Eyes met optics, stare for stare. Miya watched between the two opposing forces. Her knee trembled. She couldn't take it much longer. Even Mr Durnham seemed a little off-put by the tension that was mounting in the hanger.

She could've kissed Agent Fowler when he suddenly stepped forward and almost forcefully turned Mr Wallow away. "You heard the robot. You're getting nothing out of her today."

"Fine," Wallow growled. He shot the autobots one last look. "But I want a full report as soon as these bots hear a peep out of her."

"Can't argue with that."

Optimus turned to appraise the other human. "And you, Mr Durnham?"

"I may not agree with Mr Wallow or his methods," the older man sighed. "But I can't let Miya stay here. She needs to be put back into the system, to have a chance at finding a normal family. I'll allow you to have her – for now. At the appropriate time, however, I'm gonna insist on you handing her over to federal custody."

There was a long moment, before Optimus murmured, "Understood."

They all waited until the two strangers were completely escorted out of the Hanger by Agent Fowler. Only then did they all relax and Smokescreen transformed back. Again, Miya became dizzy as she was thrown about and then landed in Smokescreen's hand. She was a little dumbfounded as she looked up to stare at the autobots that all turned to look at her. All this time she'd been secretly suspicious of the autobots, thanks to Predaking's teachings. And yet here they were, helping her when they had no business to.

"Thank you… all of you. Thank you so much!" she gushed out in a heavy whisper. "I thought they were gonna… I thought they were gonna…"

"Hey, Miya, calm down, it's okay." Smokescreen murmured with a soft smile.

She sniffled and looked up at him. "Why?"

"What?"

"What did you do that… for me?"

His smile widened. "That's what friends do."

* * *

The course of the next few days proved to be… interesting.

The base was a mess of activity, as Agent Fowler reported that the Decepticons were active and stealing seemingly random pieces of equipment from high-tech facilities around the world. Each time she heard even a shred of news, Miya would listen attentively for any sign of Predaking. As of yet, he hadn't shown up. At this point, Miya felt the horrible stirrings of despair work their way through her. Had something happened to him? Or had he abandoned the Decepticons in order to look for her? Or was he kept aboard the warship and simply didn't care? Had he forgotten her? So many questions, and to each one she had no answers.

The autobots attempted to stop the thefts, but whatever was happening, the Cons were proving to be one step ahead at all times. Miya didn't like it when Smokescreen had to leave. She'd come to depend on him, like the big brother she'd never had. He always smiled and joked off her nerves, and always returned to her with a ' _I told you so'_. It put a smile on her face, but she couldn't keep her pessimism at bay. After what had happened to her… it was hard to remain an optimist.

But she had company when Optimus took the other autobots on missions. Ratchet always stayed behind, now with Ultra Magnus as he helped the older bot through his rehabilitation. Miya helped him sometimes, and the bots were there to help her through her own physical injuries. Ratchet had been telling the truth when he'd said that only he could diagnose and treat wounds made from cybertronian technology. Miya's scars didn't give her any pain – she didn't really feel anything, actually – but the risk of infection or her body deteriorating or reacting in some unforeseen way was a high risk.

And when Ratchet couldn't occupy her, the other children would pop by and help to occupy her. She liked Jack best. Miko was cool, but too loud. Raf was nice and quiet, but the computer-stuff went over her head. Jack was normal. After everything, she wanted a little normal.

But then normal came to a sudden spot, the day the autobots brought home a prisoner.

Optimus had radioed in to say that Ratchet had to keep Miya and the other kids far back and away from the Ground-Bridge. Then, they'd all come through, one by one, and dragged the inactive body of Soundwave with them. Miya had gasped when she'd seen the unconscious-like robot. She remembered him. He'd been kind in an odd way when the other Decepticons weren't.

Optimus and Bulkhead had secured the prisoner, chaining him to a large table they'd tilted so that Soundwave could be upright. Ratchet had monitored him for any sign of deception. The other bots had skulked at the edges, creating a protective wall between the humans and their prisoner. From their expressions, it was obviously clear that some of the autobots did not care for having the decepticon here. Especially when Soundwave began to awaken.

"Because we have the foresight to shield our new base," said Ratchet as he stepped up beside Optimus. "Our captive will be unable to transmit his co-ordinates to the Decepticon warship."

Optimus nodded. "Nor will they in turn be able to pin-point his location."

"Guess we have all the time in the world to make Mr Personality tell us everything he knows." Wheeljack smirked.

Whilst the Autobots were occupied, the humans were taking amongst themselves.

"The cons surveillance chief must know a lot, right?" Jack asked.

Miya shrugged noncommittally. "I'd guess so."

"But Soundwave doesn't speak," Miko frowned. "Does he?"

"I'm not sure he even has a face…" Raf looked a little disturbed as he stared at the autobot captive.

"Why is Megatron stealing human technology?" Optimus asked Soundwave, his tone unreadable, yet filled with authority. It was a kind of tone that did not broker any defiance, and Miya shrank at the knowledge that if Optimus used that voice on her, she would spill everything she knew without a second thought. "What is he attempting to build?"

" _W-w-why is Megatron… s-s-tealing… tech-technology…"_ Soundwave repeated back the recording of Optimus's voice, distorted and stuttered. " _W-w-what is he… t-tempting… t-to-to build?"_

The other autobots didn't seem to appreciate Soundwave's trick. They liked it even less when Soundwave projected an image of a smiley face onto the screen of his helm. Was he mocking them?

Bulkhead transformed his hand into a mace. "Oh yeah? Well, why don't I wipe that smile right off his face!"

"Hey, Optimus?" Miya squeaked out. Everyone looked at her. She didn't know why she'd blurted that out, but she knew she had to try something. And she never forgot her debts to others. "Maybe I could try–"

Smokescreen immediately tried to gently push her back away from the danger with a servo. "Miya, stay back."

"We appreciate the thought, Miya." Said Optimus gently as he glanced back at her. "But it is imperative that you remain out of this."

As if she'd been scolded, Miya nodded mutely and stepped back. She tried not to notice the fact that she thought Soundwave was _looking_ at her. His helm had tilted in her direction, and that blank stare seemed to regard her. The Deceticon's attention was brought back to the Prime when he stepped closer.

"Soundwave," Optimus said, and everyone gulped at the anger they could definitely hear creeping into his vocals. "We have treated you fairly. For the sake of the natives of this planet, tell us what Megatron is attempting to build!" he paused, and then said in a dangerously low voice, "Before we are forced to rely upon less civil methods of interrogation."

And then, Soundwave went berserk. A loud screeching alarm filled the room. It pierced the eardrums and audio-receptors of both organics and synthetics in the room. Autobots and humans covered their ears; Miya shrieked at the pain she felt pound through her skull. His frame shook, and a static sound crackled out of his speakers. Flashes of code and lines of programmes flashed across the screen of his helm. The autobots jerked back, clearly unprepared for this reaction. And then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.

"Scrap this!" Ratchet cursed. "Soundwave is no ordinary cybertronian, inside or out! So I would strongly suggest opening him up so we can have a first-hand look at the information recorded on his drives."

Miya, and several of the other autobots, looked horrified at the suggestion.

And then, the helm flashed red with lines of glyphs that Miya couldn't understand. But apparently, the others could make sense of it, as Arcee murmured: "Uh-oh."

"Alright!" Bulkhead cheered, oblivious to his team-mate beside him. "He's downloading data!"

"No!" gasped Ratchet. "Soundwave is _erasing_ data!"

They all rushed forward to stop him. But in an instant, it was over. Soundwave looked out at the autobots around him, and Miya felt a chill run down her spine. She had the distinct impression that Soundwave was… _smug_.

"Soundwave – superior." Came a deep, tech-intoned voice that echoed around the hanger. "Autobots – _inferior_."

And then, he slumped back, and moved no more.

"Is he…" Bulkhead let the question hang in the air.

Ratchet checked his display for the answer. "His vital signs remain functional. It seems he has simply severed all communications… by crashing his own drives…"

From the quiet horror that filled Ratchet's voice, Miya sort came to her own conclusion that Soundwave had made himself… braindead? The thought was enough to make her feel sick.

But the question still remained. And smokescreen was the one who dared to ask it aloud: "So, what do we do now?"

* * *

Predaking had become sullen and quiet since he'd been to Miya's secret place. He hadn't touched the energon or attempted to relieve himself of the pain through other methods. His system was recovered, but with it came the quiet sadness that had him spending most of his time in his cell, staring at the wall and thinking things over.

Humans might have called it a trance, for he sat there motionless and didn't speak nor even blink. His mind was so focused inwards on itself, that the rest of the real world ceased to exist. He had his full attention on thoughts and memories and other such things.

And his mind slipped into that domain that realm of pure focus, something overcame him with such a strong force it literally took his breath away.

His memory banks surged and took control of his entire processor. The memory was selected, a recent one, and it appeared in front of his vision until it was all he could see, as if he was back in the moment.

 _'_ _The Predacon continued to fly slowly, testing the boundaries of what Miya was comfortable with every once in a while. If he went too fast suddenly, then she would instantly become afraid again, but he tried to ease her into the process, to make her learn to enjoy herself. But he liked the fact that it didn't take Miya long to progress: she hated the fact that she wasn't able to control anything about this, which was why it frightened her to be so uncomfortable. And yet, she was exhilarated by the speed, by the daring of it all. He knew he had to make her give up the illusion of control, only then would she begin to enjoy herself. Soon her squeaks of fear whenever he swooped low to catch a fast updraft of wind that would send them shooting upwards, was replaced by shrieks of excited laughter. At one point, he even felt her briefly let go of him to reach out with both her hands to the sky that surrounded them._

 _Each time he heard her laugh or whoop for joy, the Predacon couldn't help how his spark grew warm at the sounds. She was enjoying this, enjoying spending time with him. He was showing her a whole new experience that she would never have been able to engage in, and she was loving it. He couldn't have felt more proud to know that he could show her the beauty of this moment, and share in this wonder with her.'_

With another flash, that memory was stowed away, and something stronger, deeper replaced it. Something from further back in his memory banks then Predaking had ever gone before. It was something that didn't belong to him, it was something strange yet familiar all at the same time. He was powerless to do anything, but submit to it.

 _'_ _He flew for the first time. A sparkling no longer, he had spread his wings and unleashed dragon-fire on the sky above a shining, metallic world. Such joy eclipsed him as he soared through the heavens, it was unlike any feeling that could ever hope to be described._

 _A shriek from his right flank alerted him that he was not the only one present. He looked over his shoulder and saw his pack-brothers and sisters all in formation around him. Those his own age, new to Cybertron, just shedding their hatchling forms and stepping into their own as full adults. What a legion they made. Optics aglow, fire in their throats, wind beneath their wings as they all soared over a world that belonged to them._

 _He chorused with them, and flew onwards. He was now their King, after all, and he would lead them to greatness, to the hunt, to–'_

Predaking slammed back into his own body so hard he physically jerked in place. He was breathing hard, his optics flittering about in an attempt to process where and when he was. A dull ache pained his processor. What by Primus had just happened?

It was a memory, but none that he'd ever lived. How was that possible? It had felt so real. Was it another ancestral memory passed down through his CNA? He couldn't tell. And suddenly the thought of his mind not being the safe place he'd once thought was terrifying.

 _"_ _Predaking!"_ barked Megatron through the comm. channel.

The huge mech startled, and it took him precious seconds to get his thoughts in order before he could respond. "Y-yes, Lord Megatron?"

" _Report to the bridge, at once."_ Came the curt reply.

Predaking sighed, but stood and left his cell. He'd rarely spoken with Megatron, or any of his officers, since he'd become a recluse in his grief. In all truth, he was itching to be unleashed onto the Autobots, to exact his revenge with all the fury he possessed. But also, he was tired, and was dreading if Megatron asked of him any task other than fighting. Anything else just seemed to be too much to take.

Finally, he found his way to the bridge, and was a little surprised to see that Soundwave was not at his usual post. It was only Megatron and a handful of vehicons attempting to do the communication-officer's job. In an instant, Predaking tensed. He could sense the atmosphere in the room, and it was an instinct he couldn't suppress but to be on his guard.

"You summoned me, Lord Megatron?" he said as he stepped up behind Megatron.

Megatron's voice was as ever a brooding baritone that demanded immediate obedience and respect, even in a civil and deceptively equal tone. "I require your services, since we anticipate an autobot presence at our next event."

"What?" the word left Predaking in a low, short growl that had every Vehicon tensing with fear.

"Shockwave is attempting to prepare the synthetic energon to help form the cybermatter we need. The only way he can accomplish this, is with a little autobot help. However, getting to him will be no easy task. Which is why I need you to keep someone else otherwise… _occupied_."

He instantly forgot his previous caution. Anger burned through him like his generator had detonated. He brandished his sharp servos as if he were already tearing through metallic bodies. But he understood all too quickly that Megatron wouldn't have called him here to tell him he'd be facing against _any_ autobot. No. He had something – some _one_ – special in mind, and it filled him with bloodthirsty glee.

"I welcome any opportunity to face the Prime again," he declared. He still resented the fact that the Prime had gotten the drop on him in their last encounter. "Warrior to warrior."

Megatron exploded with anger, so suddenly that even Predaking was taken aback. "You pride yourself on your evolution! Yet you have learned _nothing!_ "

Megatron whirled around and stomped towards him. Predaking felt for an instant, the instinct to retreat. But he also felt the instinct programming inside him, the one that became outraged at the mech before him to dare challenge him. The impulse to curl his lip and growl was incredibly strong. And it took all his willpower to stand straight and still and not move.

"A warrior's honour has no place in our survival!" Megatron continued his rant with a snarl. "When you face against an opponent, you will use your greatest advantage and win!"

"I do."

"Yet you do not comprehend the magnitude of the situation! I have lost my surveillance chief today. The autobots have expanded their forces, while ours continue to dwindle!"

To Predaking, the answer was clear. "Then I shall simply battle them all twice as fiercely."

"As a _Beast!_ " Megatron spat.


	27. Predacon's Rage

Predacon's Rage:

* * *

Well into the evening, the Autobots attempted to bring Soundwave back online. But it appeared ineffective. Soundwave had crashed his own drives in order to keep the Autobots out, and nothing they could do could reverse that. All that was left for them to do was to wait for him to return to them.

Miya sat on a crate in the corner. She couldn't take her eyes off the still and silent robot still chained to the table. The Autobots had gone about their business, with Ratchet close to Soundwave in order to monitor him whilst he continued his own projects. Miya couldn't understand how they did that. It was too creepy to her to be any kind of normal whilst there was, in essence, a brain-dead _body_ casually lying about in the room with them. The others ignored her tension, or simply didn't notice. But Miya couldn't help the pressure of dread she felt inside her. Perhaps she'd spent too much time with a robot that spent half his life as an animal, but there was something just over the horizon that had her spooked.

It was around eight o'clock, Jack, Miko and Raph had gone home for the night, when the tension was finally cut with the proverbial knife. One of their channels began to signal an incoming call, and Ratchet opened it as the other Autobots gathered.

 _"_ _Prime."_ Came the voice of Agent Fowler over the speakers. _"_ _I'm on my way to the base, but I just got word. The cons busted into the Salar's Particle Collider Project at the south pole!"_

Optimus turned to his team. "Autobots!"

Everyone prepared themselves. Even Ultra Magnus, whom Miya had noticed had always stayed behind on missions, brandished his dummy-hand. Just looking at it made the girl shiver. No one would tell her what had actually happened, but she had heard rumours. A Predacon had crushed his hand in a fit of savage rage. Miya didn't want to believe her Predaking would do that to someone like the Autobots – it still made her head hurt to think who was in the right and who was wrong, when she'd heard the conflicting tales of both sides. Yet she also couldn't deny that Predaking wasn't capable of such a thing. Though she didn't like to, she remembered the first few nights she spent with the predacon. He'd been little more than an animal to her then, and even acted like it.

She focused back on the present for her own peace of mind when Ratchet also noticed Ultra Magnus suiting up, and came over as fussy as a mother-hen with her feathers all puffed up. "Yip-yip-yip!"

Ultra Magnus sighed, a look of dejection on his face. The old veteran couldn't conceive of a life without fighting, it seemed.

And then, he was saved from the most unlikely source. Wheeljack stepped forward. "Doc, the commander's ready."

A significant look passed between the superior to his subordinate. Miya didn't know the full story, only that she'd gotten the gist that there had once been some beef between the two. Even though now there seemed to be something like a mutual respect, though not complete friendship.

Ratchet groaned and waved them off. "Urgh. Fine – fine."

Emboldened, Miya stepped forward without thinking. "Optimus?"

The huge robot turned to her, and she suddenly felt very small. "What is it, Miya?"

"C-Can I come with you? Maybe I can help? I lived with them, I could–"

"Oh, no-no-no- _no!_ " Ratchet spun to give the girl a scolding look. "The stubborn cog-head over there, I'll permit. But _you,_ young lady? Not a chance. You'll be going nowhere near those 'Cons again. Not as long as I'm still functioning."

Miya's feet shuffled. This was perhaps her only chance to try and see Predaking again. What if he was there? Would he see her? Would he want her back? "Please, I could…" she tried to come up with some excuse for why they had to take her, but nothing came.

The gentle hands of Smokescreen cupped around her and lifted her up into the air. "No Miya, he's right. After what they did to you, you can't go back out there."

"Don't worry, Miya." Said Optimus with his ever soothing voice. "We'll be back."

She nodded glumly.

"Bulkhead, Smokescreen." The Prime nodded to each of the two in turn. "Remain here with Ratchet to guard our prisoner. Everyone else, transform and roll out!"

Ratchet fired up the ground bridge, and Miya watched from Smokescreen's hands as each of the Autobots transformed into their vehicle modes and disappeared through the swirling green vortex. For a brief moment, she saw the white expanse of Antarctica on the other side, imagined she could feel its rush of cold wind. But then it closed and nothing was left. Smokescreen put her down, and she dejectedly decided to go back to whatever could help pass the time until Optimus and the others returned.

Bulkhead turned to the prone body on the table. His expression seemed to hold the same level of disgust as Miya felt. "Can't we throw a tarp over him? He's creepin' me out."

Smokescreen tilted his body back and forth in front of the vacant face plate. "Yeah, it's like he's watching… no matter where you go."

"Will both of you stop focusing on what Soundwave can or cannot _see_ ," Ratchet snapped at them, "and help me figure out what he did not _tell_." He grew quiet for a moment, and thought aloud in a low voice. "Like why Megatron would be interested in something believed to be able to generate enough power to create a black hole…"

"Black holes? So Megatron's looking to swallow up the known universe?" Smokescreen asked.

Bulkhead didn't seem convinced. "Eh, and everything in it?"

They both turned to Miya.

"What?" she squeaked. "It's not like Megatron monologued all his plans with me."

"No, that's not it." Ratchet shook his head. "He would merely want to harness the _power_ of something capable of swallowing worlds."

"And that's _soooooooooooooooo_ much better?"

"It must be…" Ratchet trailed off, his optics growing wide in horror. "In order to… create one… Oh my."

He ran over to the comm. system and began to press a multitude of buttons. Miya looked to Smokescreen and silently pleaded for an explanation. Little to say that she was lost. But her Autobot friend merely shrugged, clearly just as confused as she was.

"Optimus," Ratchet spoke into the comm. "I know this hardly seems the time, but it may aide you in your task. I believe that Megatron may be attempting to rebuild the Omega-lock."

Smokescreen and Bulkhead gaped. Miya fidgeted on her feet. She didn't know what this could possibly mean but she was aware that it was something important. The reactions around her hinted to it, but the relevance was lost on her. All she could feel was the sudden tension that made her anxious.

"Do we let him?" Ratchet asked.

Optimus's response took a moment to appear. " _No. For you know as well as I, that Megatron will use a reconstructed Omega-Lock to cyberform both Cybertron and Earth."_

Now THAT she understood. Perhaps not every word of it, but enough of it to understand that this was end-of-the-world kind of plan being acted out by the Decepticons. And all it did was cause further turmoil in Miya as she wondered why her Predaking was involved in all of this. Did he really mean to help in the destruction of her home? Why would he do that? Or was he being tricked and he didn't really know everything?

The spinning thoughts made her head hurt and a phantom pain rippled down her scarred arm.

Optimus's voice continued. " _And that is one abuse of power that we cannot allow."_

Ratchet sighed. "Understood." And he cut the link.

* * *

The barren expanse of the icy wastelands stretched for hundreds of miles in all directions. The familiar feel of the cold that bit into every circuit and joint and cable brought too many bad memories to the surface. Yet still Predaking flew on. He'd been given a ground-bridge a few miles south of the position of the heist, in preparation for if and when the Autobots would arrive to attempt to stop them.

His mission had been very clear: if he couldn't stop them, then delay them enough for Shockwave to get what he required. He fully intended to end them.

No longer was he clouded by grief, instead he let it fuel him. His fury against the Autobots, his need for vengeance, it all boiled in his energon beneath his plates and it burned. He intended to use everything at his disposal to destroy his enemies. They were nothing to him. The only one he actually planned a strategy for, was the only one who could be a potential threat: the Prime.

Optimus Prime had caught him by surprise once before, but it would not happen again. Now, they would fight on even ground, strength pitted against strength. It would shake the very ice beneath them.

With the moon at his back, Predaking soared towards the facility. His scanners detected the Autobot presence, and headed straight for it. The cold wind he flew through bit at his frame, though it was not the blizzard he remembered from the last time he had been subjected to such frigid temperatures. He still remembered some tricks from last time, however, and so kept his generator hot and constantly burning a heat throughout his system so that not even a layer of frost could form on his body.

He spotted them, approaching the facility. Five of them. The Prime tallest amongst them. Predaking flew low to the ice, and used the wind to help him glide silently. He only needed to thrust his wings once to give him the added momentum to shoot through the air fast on his prey. The only warning he gave them was a shriek that cut through the night air, as his chest gave a fiery glow. Fire erupted from his mouth and shot in a great ball of death towards his targets.

The autoboots ducked, all except for the Prime, who levelled his blaster and fired back. Predaking expertly circled out and around the stream of fire, and shot right over his prey. The darkness of his metal exterior allowed him to find the cover of darkness. With a flap of his wings, he circled higher and came back around with a roar.

When he came back around for another pass, he saw that the other Autobots had run into the base. Only the Prime remained, alone and stood strong to face him. Predaking couldn't stop his mandibles lifting with morbid excitement. Let Shockwave earn his prize with a little skirmish. Predaking had the undivided attention of the Prime with which to vent his vengeful rage.

He dived to engage.

The Prime shot a stream of blasts at him, attempting to shoot him out of the air. Predaking ducked and rolled from side to side in an attempt to out-move the shots. With each beat of his wings, he grew closer, and the Prime hadn't even grazed him yet. And when he was right on top of him, he let loose a stream of fire.

His enemy engaged his thrusters and shot into the air to avoid the blast. Predaking, who had been going too fast, couldn't pull up in time. He shot right underneath the Prime and hit the ice. It slipped under his claws, and he scrambled for purchase. The Prime relentlessly shot his blaster after him. The hail of blasts nicked him once or twice as he hugged the ground, but did no damage to his near-impenetrable hide. He leapt back into the air, and flew up after the retreating Prime.

Optimus kept going up as he continued to shoot down at the Predacon that pursued him. Predaking quickly gained on him, and shot fire straight for his spark when in range. The enemy rolled back, barely avoiding the scorching heat. However, Predaking was taken by surprise when the Prime came out of the roll and threw himself into him. He collided in a tackle mid-air, arms wrapped around Predaking's torso.

Predaking shrieked and attempted to kick him off. When he found himself being thrown backwards away from the Prime. Before his wings could catch him, he felt the blaster hit him in the chest. Though it did little damage, the force sent him further backwards, until his spinal struts slammed against the wall of the glacier behind him. He hadn't even realised they'd come this far back from the base.

The impact dazed him with the pain and he fell to the ground. Ice groaned and shattered, it fell in huge chunks all around him. When he shook his head back to reality, his optics widened when he realised that Optimus was still blasting at the ice-wall above him. Just as he had done in the cave. And just like then, chunks of ice and snow and rock hurtled down around him in an attempt to bury him alive. The memories brought with them the raging fury that that day also invoked, and Predaking roared his fearsome cry of death and leapt out of the debris.

Optimus obviously didn't know what had ignited Predaking's fury, nor perhaps, would he ever. But suddenly, Predaking flew at him twice as hard, and fought him twice as furiously. There was a bloodlust in every movement, a cry of hatred and anger in every noise and seething look he made.

Predaking knocked Optimus out of the air. He clutched him in his claws and tried to tear him apart with his strength alone. All he could think of was that day. How he'd left a life of hope and promise, only to return to carnage and murder. Loathing filled him for the Autobot when he thought of the body he couldn't even bury, because they had thought to steal that from him as well.

He slammed Optimus's back into the roof of a warehouse not far from the facility. The thick ice shattered and the beams of the roof caved under the force, but it was enough to bounce them back upwards. Predaking thrust his wings to send them the rest of the way up. With Optimus dazed and winded, he brandished his claws and struck them across the Prime's chest. Sparks flew. Terrible scratches left hideous marks in the Prime's chest-plate, almost exposing his spark-chamber with the force of the hit. Optimus grunted and groaned from the pain. Predaking tried again, this time to cleave him in two, but the Prime had enough sense about him to bat away his strike with his arm.

Mandibles pulled apart to expose his teeth, Predaking thrust his head forward with open jaws to bite and maul his way to the Prime's spark. In desperation, Optimus grabbed hold of the predacon's mandibles and tried to hold him back. They fought for a brief moment, the strength of Predaking's jaws alone against the full strength of Optimus, and it appeared that neither would win.

A spark of brilliance came to mind, and a cunning gleam entered the yellow optics. Predaking lit his generator and let the fire travel up his throat towards his already open jaws. Optimus saw it coming and his own optics widened. He wrenched Predaking's head to the side, just in time for the fire to shoot out harmlessly to the side.

They rolled through the sky, and when Predaking finally managed to correct his flight path in the air, Optimus had managed to wriggle out of his hold and hung by his grip on one of his horns. With blaster ready, he tried to shoot him at point-blank range. Predaking growled and swiftly kicked him off. He felt the hail of blasts against his back, and swung his tail out to clobber the threat away.

He heard a shout and screech of metal on metal, and turned in time to see the Prime lose function of his thrusters and fall from the sky. It caused Predaking a sickening satisfaction to watch the Autobot helplessly fall the two or three hundred feet that remained of the air and smash into the ground. The Prime didn't move, and lay in a crater his fall had made.

Now that his enemy was down and at his mercy, Predaking felt the rage slip a little to be replaced by a coldness that only came with vengeance. It wasn't enough to kill the Prime where no other Decepticon had come close to succeeding before. No. He wanted this moment to be remembered, to be worth the burning ache that never left his Spark.

He swooped low and transformed to his mech-mode twenty feet from the ground. Effortlessly he landed, knees barely buckling to take his weight. Snow crunched under his footsteps as he strolled towards the Autobot leader. The Prime was barely coherent, groaning to himself as he struggled to even lift his head and get to his hands and knees.

Predaking sneered coldly, not even out of breath. "It took a cataclysm to extinguish Cybertron's original predacon inhabitants. You never stood a chance against me, Prime. In fact," he said and transformed his left arm into a blaster. His generator summoned the fire, but instead of being transferred to his mouth, he felt it course down his arm to prime the weapon. "The time has come for _your_ extinction!"

Before the blast could be set off, Prime moved. Predaking was so taken aback by the sudden movement that he was completely unprepared for the fist that knocked his blaster away and then the force that smashed into his chest. Another two punches sent him stumbling back a step, and the Prime advanced. But that was where the advantage ended. His processor quickly caught up with the situation, and Predaking threw himself back into the fight.

He sent back one of his own punches that grazed the Prime's shoulder. Optimus's fist launched out again, but Predaking caught it in his right hand and held it there. His sharp servos dug into Optimus's blunt ones. He tried to push his blaster back into Optimus's chest and fire, but the Autobot caught his arm in turn and pushed back. They stayed locked for a single moment. Strength equalled in the other as neither could advance nor submit.

Predaking glared into the optics of Optimus Prime. Though he respected the worthy foe that had come at last, it did nothing to temper his hatred for the one who had given the order to destroy all those he cared about. He didn't give a damn what the Autobot's reasons were. That had gone too far.

Optimus threw his head forward to headbutt his helm against Predaking's. It broke their deadlock, and Predaking was thrown backwards. He rolled over the ice, but quickly controlled the fall and came to land, crouched on his knees. In the heat of the moment, Predaking feared that the necklace-piece now welded to his chest had been damaged in the fight. His hand quickly drifted there and confirmed through touch that it was still there and still intact. Good. If the Prime had taken even _that_ away from him… not even Primus would save him from his wrath. Not that their dormant god could do anything to help him now, anyway. The pair glared at each other from across the battlefield.

"Stand down, Predacon." Optimus ordered.

Fury made his lips twist as he transformed his blaster back into his clawed servos. "I am _Predaking!_ And after everything you have done to me, I will NEVER bow to your kind!"

He charged. The Prime braced himself, ready to engage. But a step before he reached him, Predaking crouched and leapt into the air. He flipped backwards and his leg shot outwards. He felt it hit the Prime's face and heard the cry of pain. In mid-flip, he transformed, and landed back on the ground, a beast once more.

He saw the furrow Optimus left in the snow as he was thrown backwards by the force of the kick. A shower of ice-particles erupted into the air where finally stopped. He didn't come back up. This was it, this was the moment he'd been waiting for. Optimus was at his mercy. After all this time, it would be _he_ that vanquished the line of Primes, once and for all! Vengeance would be his. He summoned the hottest, strongest blast of flame he could, poured every ounce of power from his generator. It was so strong as he pulled it up his neck, that his head shook with the force of it. One blast from this, and Optimus prime would be no m–

" _Predaking!"_ the voice of Megatron shouted over his comm. The break in concentration was enough that Predaking released the energy he had summoned and the flames returned to his generator, unused. _"_ _I have been informed that our objective is at risk. Secure it!"_

He looked over at the facility behind him, mandibles twitching as he growled in agitation. He had the Prime here, able to be offlined forever! He looked back at the spot where Optimus lay, and debated for a second to disobey his orders and carry out the deed. But no. If he delayed and the mission failed, they would have lost their only remaining chance to rebuild their homeworld.

With a roar of frustration at not having his kill, Predaking threw himself back into the air and soared quickly towards the facility. He wouldn't fit through the cramped hallways, so decided to land on the roof. His scanners gave him the location of Shockwave, and positioned himself right above him. Then, with all his strength, he tore his way into the roof to until it completely caved under him.

He fell through and managed to land right between Shockwave and the Autobot whom he had maimed, Ultra Magnus. The Autobots were surprised and fearful of his sudden entrance, no doubt wondering what he had done with their illustrious leader, and he pressed the advantage. He batted Magnus aside, the autoboot having frozen from where he remembered their last encounter. Though he'd tried to hide it, the fear was still very evident in him.

Wheeljack attempted to jump onto his back, but Predaking swatted him out of the air with a heavy strike from his tail. The other two, the femme and the scout, tried to blast him in the face, but he shrugged them off. In the face of the little threat they posed, Predaking was only just starting to understand how far above them he truly was. Another swipe from his tail sent them flying to the other side of the room.

He turned to Shockwave, and lifted his mandibles in a sneer at his creator. It astonished him how he had once revered the mech, when he just realised how inefficiently he could take care of himself. He swiped him up none too gently in one claw and turned to the machine they had come so far to collect. He hopped onto it and grasped it firmly in his back claws. A strike of his tail completely severed the machine's anchors to the floor, and he flew away with both it and Shockwave.

His wings had to beat continuously to account for the added weight, but he managed rather well. Predaking flew out into the Antarctic sky and signalled through his comm. for a ground bridge. The green vortex appeared to him, and he and his cargo flew straight through.

* * *

"Miya, why do you fiddle with your chest? Are your injuries hurting you?" Ratchet asked.

"What?" Miya asked, distracted. She'd been lost in her thoughts, her fingers fiddling with a necklace that wasn't there. It had made her so upset when she'd first discovered it was gone. "Oh, it's nothing. I just… I used to have a necklace. Just a cheap, arcade thing, no biggie, but… I must have lost it in the fire…"

Ratchet didn't speak for a minute, and when he did, his voice was soft, encouraging. "What were you doing there, Miya?"

She refused to look at him, her voice a mere whisper. "I was home. With my King."

He left her alone after that, and all they could do was wait for more news.

Eventually, Smokescreen came into the room and noticed the tension. And in his usual fashion, tried to cheer everyone up. "Ratchet, it may not be with the forge or the Omega-Lock, but we're gonna find a way to get our planet repaired."

At that moment, Agent Fowler walked into the base from the balcony. Miya automatically tensed. It was nothing that the agent himself had done, per-se, but since that incident with the other two men he'd brought that one time, she'd been on edge around him. The agent was too busy engrossed in his paperwork to notice her, however.

And then it happened.

A window shattered and some sort of flying drone flew into the base. Miya remembered the high-pitched squeak of the flying thing and immediately shrieked in alarm. Instinctive terror went through her and she dived for the nearest cover. The Autobots looked equally as shocked and freaked to see it.

"Oh no," Ratchet murmured.

The thing began to shoot from the air, and Miya ducked behind a crate, her whole body shaking. Even with her eyes tightly closed, she could still see the flames that had engulphed her, feel the pain that had made her whole side dead to the world. The drone-thing shot off the restraints that surrounded Soundwave before Smokescreen could blast it out of the air. Still it managed to fly just enough to land straight on Soundwave's chest.

Instantly, the face-less mech came back online, and Miya cried out a wordless shout of alarm to the others. Bulkhead and Smokescreen threw themselves at him and attempted to subdue him. Soundwave didn't even need to flinch out of their way. Tentacle-like cables came out of his body and attached themselves to the autobots. They cried out as electricity sparked through them to such a high voltage that they almost immediately passed out. Miya quaked, terrified beyond recognition as she watched her new friends become incapacitated. Even agent Fowler attempted to fight back, but Soundwave batted him aside, and the hard blow knocked the human unconscious.

And then Soundwave turned his sights on Ratchet. The medic had no chance of escape, as the decepticon closed in on him with an ominous calm, cables sparking as they wrapped around him. Ensnared, he was subjected to the currents of electricity which made him cry out. It took him considerably longer to fall unconscious, and Miya wondered if that was because of Ratchet's endurance, or the fact that Soundwave remembered how Ratchet had been the one to suggest torturing him.

Everyone lay limp, and Ratchet was still coiled up in those cables as Soundwave began to drag him to the centre of the bunker. The Decepticon's face plate began to flash several images, and Miya was aware that he was about to summon a ground-bridge.

Her desperation made her feet move when everything else in her wanted to bury her head and scream in fear. "Wait!"

Soundwave paused and turned to regard her. Miya couldn't stop her legs from shaking. The decepticons had ruined her, but Soundwave had helped her once or twice before. Surely he would help again, right?

"Please," she begged quietly. "Take me with you. Take me back to Predaking. I, I need–"

The 'Con held her at bay, one finger held up for silence and motionlessness. Miya stilled, her heart pounding in her chest. Soundwave shook his head slowly. Several images flashed across the screen, and then the lines of audio that had appeared on his face before ran across the face-plate.

In that same deep and mechanical voice, he announced: "Humans inferior."

Miya watched, crying, dejected and alone, as Soundwave walked away from her, dragging his prisoner behind him. He summoned a Ground-Bridge to appear before him, and disappeared.


	28. Predacon's Vengeance

**Author's Note: Unless otherwise specified, the canonical things that happen in this episode happen anyway. I am only really narrating or summarising what I want to address from those actions in the episode. I have a lot I want to cover as this story reaches its climax, and I don't want to be bogged down by describing every little thing. If you've seen the episode, you know what is happening externally to get any little references. If you haven't, I'd like to think that I've done enough for you to get the gist. Mostly.**

 **Please review!**

* * *

Predacon's Vengeance:

* * *

Predaking made his way to the bridge, his frame filled with agitated energy. His sharp servos twitched, ready to shred something apart. His shoulders and spinal struts were too stiff. Ever since he'd returned from the Antarctic, he'd been possessed with the urge to hit something. After all, he'd been _so close_ to off-lining the Prime, close to achieving some small portion of vengeance. Yet even that had been taken away from him. And now his teeth felt the need to finish the job, even if it were on some unfortunate Vehicon.

So imagine his surprise and anger, to hear that Megatron had captured the Autobot medic. Predaking had never faced him personally, but the thought that an Autobot, _any_ Autobot, was here, right under his nose, made him want to tear the ship apart just to get to his prey. And why had Megatron done this in the first place? He knew of Predaking's feelings. Why had he also then kept it hidden? Why had Predaking had to find out through the chatter on the comms?

By the time he found Lord Megatron, the beastly part of his nature was close to tearing down the surface. It took all his willpower to remain calm and collected before his master. Megatron had his back to him, so he stepped forward with voice slightly raised to grab his attention. "Lord Megatron, I understand that you have brought an accursed Autobot aboard this warship."

Damn, he hadn't been able to keep the spite out of his tone. Megatron must've sensed it, for turned to look at him with a guarded sideways glance. "Indeed."

"Then I will accomplish with him…" Predaking growled, his arm transforming into a blaster. "What I failed to with the Prime."

Megatron turned to fully face him, an assuring smile in place. "Predaking, this Autoboot is more than a prisoner. You do wish for Cybertron's restoration, do you not?"

For some reason, that tone set Predaking's primal codes on edge. He didn't know why, but something was beginning to really irritate him in regards to Megatron. Perhaps it was since the massacre, his instinctive programs had begun to question the capabilities of the current alpha to keep his pack safe? That had to be it. It was just that since that fateful day, something had not felt quite… right.

Brushing the thoughts aside, he said nothing, only gazed hard at Megatron. He lowered his blaster.

"Then trust me," Megatron purred. "Our captive's usefulness _will_ come to an end. And when that time arrives, I assure you, he will be all yours."

Predaking planned to hold him to that.

* * *

Suffice it to say that the Autobots were in a panic when they returned to find their base empty of one medic and one prisoner. The other autoboots had come around, only to find the destruction and Miya crying in the corner. She shivered at the slightest touch, inconsolable, and unable to be reached. The autoboots lamented how if Ratchet were there, he might be able to tell them what was wrong with her. The girl was shaken up, perhaps like a form of PTSD from the encounter with Soundwave? In the end, it was Smokescreen who was able to get through to her. He transformed into his vehicle-mode and held her safe and secure inside. It didn't take long for her to weep into exhaustion, and only then did Smokescreen put her in her bed to re-join the others in their examination of the place.

Under Optimus' instructions, they went through the whole place. The computers, the security footage; but all they found was a chunk from Laserbeak's wing. Not even the groundbridge controls had been touched. Soundwave must've used the Decepticon's so that he couldn't be tracked.

Finally, it was Arcee who said what they were all thinking. "Why take Ratchet prisoner but leave these two behind?"

"If Megatron intends to hold our medic hostage," Ultra Magnus thought aloud, "I find it curious that he's made no demands."

Optimus nodded. "It would stand to reason, that Ratchet must possess something the Decepticons want…"

"Well, whatever the 'cons are after," Bulkhead growled and pounded his fist into his other hand. "Ratchet won't give it up! Right?"

Wheeljack looked darkly at the ground, a shadow of a memory passing over his features. "Not intentionally, no."

"So, what do we do then?" Smokescreen asked. "Just sit around and wait for something to happen?"

Optimus sighed. "For the time being… yes."

* * *

Predaking counted the hours, counted the minutes, counted the seconds that went by. Each one a tick of his claws against the wall, each one another flame to add to his growing inferno inside his generator. The Autobot was here, he could practically smell him, but couldn't strike. The only thing that kept him still at all was the promise of getting his just reward if he was patient. Megatron would never keep the prisoner alive indefinitely, not after everything he'd seen of the ship, so he would be predacon-food soon enough.

When the alarms blazed, Predaking had to stop himself from charging into the ship interior. He knew in his primal coding that the Autobot was responsible for this. Instead he waited on the flight-deck and listened to any comm. chatter that might tell him what was going on and if he'd been ordered into action. His body felt too stiff from waiting. Every plate and wire wanted to transform, his mech-mode felt too constraining to contain his frustration. Through sheer force of will, he bared it and remained.

And then he was given the sweet payoff to his agonising wait. Megatron hailed him over the comm. and told him that the prisoner was now all his. Obviously, the medic had outlived his usefulness, had now given them the key to restoring Cybertron. Now he was all Predaking's.

The doors to the flight-deck opened. Two Vehicons threw out a bulky mech that wasn't very tall, yet not the smallest Autobot either. He was painted in red and white in the usual medic colours and from the scattered letters about his frame from his transformation, Predaking guessed that his alt-mode was a human ambulance. How very quaint. The Autobot landed on the floor, and the doors were closed and sealed behind him. Predaking stepped up to the enemy, already his claws ached to rip and tear.

As if just noticing him there, the medic tilted his helm back and _back_ , to stare in horror at his looming captor. "Do you feel defenceless, Autobot? _Good_. Now you know what my fellow predacons endured."

He allowed every spark of rage, every ache of grief, every wish for retribution, every lonely wish to undo what had been done, to take hold of him. Everything he had held back to keep his composure, everything he had had to deal with, drown in, endure and cage away was released into his system. It fuelled him with a need to act, a bloodlust that couldn't be sated. He decided in that moment that it wasn't enough to just kill all the Autobots, no, they had to suffer for what they'd done as he had suffered.

His claws lunged forward and wrapped around the medic's head. "RIGHT BEFORE YOU MASSACRED THEM!"

It would have been so easy to just crush the helm of the Autobot and kill him outright. Even under that simple touch, he could feel the metal groan and threaten to dent. To avoid the temptation, Predaking threw the Autobot right across the flight-deck. The medic bounced almost completely over the edge, only just stopping in time. Predaking followed after him, leapt into the air and transformed mid-leap. As his dragon-form was unveiled, he watched with grim satisfaction as the medic gaped at him in full horror-appreciation of what he was.

Predaking roared his battle-cry, mandibles spread to reveal his open jaws, and lunged.

The Medic scrambled to his feet and tried to dodge out of the way. He didn't make it two steps before Predaking's tail swiped his legs from under him. A blade transformed from his hand in a pitiful attempt to defend himself, but Predaking was already there with a swift headbutt that dazed the mech. Claws brandished, the predacon clobbered the other bot about the deck, a swift hit-hit-crunch of metal on metal. With each hit, the medic swayed, his processor losing focus until he was completely thrown to the floor.

Jaws parted, Predaking snarled at this enemy's useless attempt at a fight. Why wouldn't it give him a challenge, help him draw out the execution so that he could fully work this fury out of his system?

In frustration, Predaking hit him so hard, the Medic was thrown back into the wall by the door. The impact was so forceful it made a small dent in the wall. The Medic flopped to the ground, most of his energy leaving him. Predaking snapped his jaws around the Medic's head, felt his teeth find purchase and his mandibles pierce the Medic's plates, perilously close to main energon cables inside. He shook the Autobot, could hear it scream in pain and fright. Finally done with this disappointing game, the predacon threw the Autobot away and leapt after him. His claws pinned the Medic to the floor, and threated to crush his spark chamber with his sheer weight. Energon dribbled from the side of the Medic's mouth, and his optics took a moment to focus.

"Just… just get it over with," he whispered hoarsely, exhaustedly. "It's not like I could ever live with myself… knowing the role I played in human-kind's extinction."

The predacon snarled viciously with the promise to make good on that request. Outrage burned through him. So it was perfectly fine for the Autobot to live with rendering his species extinct, but the humans were an exception? The hypocrisy made his energon boil.

He leaned down to bite of the Medic's head, when the Autobot suddenly looked him in the optic defiantly. "But if you want to avenge your cohorts, don't stop with me. _Keep_ avenging, all the way to Megatron!"

Predaking froze. His processor burned with activity at that statement. Why had the Autobot said that? More than likely because he wanted to create discord in the Decepticon ranks. But then why not say something else, or mention anything sooner? The slow defeat in the optics of the Autobot told the predacon that he had accepted his fate. He didn't expect his words to slow his termination. For some reason it a struck a chord in him, the need for clarification frantic in him.

Claws releasing their prey, Predaking took a step back and transformed to his mech-mode. His expression was confused but wary as he demanded, "What? What do you mean?"

Fists clenched with impatience, Predaking allowed the Autobot to come to his knees, seemingly agonisingly slowly due to his current state. "Your high-and-mighty leader wanted your predacon's exterminated… and simply allowed us to do his dirty work for him."

That was it. A lie. It sounded too convenient for the Autobot to be true. With a growl, Predaking hooked his claws into the Medic's shoulder and hoisted him into the air. "Nothing but a false claim to save your own spark!"

"But… you consider yourself an intelligent being, don't you?" the medic asked breathlessly, hands clinging to the predacon's wrist.

Predaking threw him look that stated the obvious.

"Then rise above your base instincts, and _analyse_ the situation."

The predacon considered a moment. No one had ever asked him to stop and think about something, to come to his own conclusions based on evidence given. It was an encouragement to his own intelligence. For that reason, and that reason alone, Predaking unceremoniously dropped the medic and decided to hear him out.

Groaning, the medic got to his feet. But he didn't stand tall. Hunched over, holding his chest together with an arm cradling his middle. "We followed the trail that day with a desperate hope it would lead to an energon mine. We had no idea we would find Shockwave's laboratory."

Predaking ran the numbers, the calculations. His processor told him exactly what he expected: "The coincidence _barely_ seems plausible."

"That's because it _wasn't_ a coincidence. Energon was clearly _planted_ to lure us there. _By_ Megatron."

"You do not deny, however, that it was you Autobots who pulled the trigger?!"

At least the medic had the decency to look a little ashamed. "I know it doesn't excuse it in your eyes… but back then we didn't know the full extent of your abilities. We didn't know you predacons could transform, think, speak. We believed you were…" he paused, as if he knew his next words would be a sore spot for the predacon. "…mindless beasts. Megatron's tools of destruction. Please understand: we couldn't even be on par with _one_ of you. An _army_? As far as we knew, that would mean untold slaughter to the inhabitants of this planet. But if we had known what you were… we might've done things differently."

 _Might_. The strain on the hesitant word was not lost on Predaking. No matter the excuses the Autobot spouted, it still couldn't make him believe anything would've happened differently had the circumstances been changed.

"The slaughter of my kind, to save humans? Lies." He spat. Almost as if he couldn't bare the words, he looked away, optics squeezed shut, and his breath just a whisper. "You murdered Miya."

However, the medic heard him. "Miya? What would you care about a human girl–?"

And then he froze. Predaking gazed back, and saw the Autobot's optics glued onto the ever-so-small, out of place piece on his armour. The green dragon necklace welded beside his own predacon insignia. Almost as if he could protect it, Predaking shielded it from sight with his hand, but the medic had already seen it.

"By the Allspark… _Preda-KING_ … you're the king she asks for…"

"What?"

Blue optics found yellow. "We didn't kill Miya– _argh!_ "

Predaking launched at the Autobot. His spark clenched at the very mention of the girl. He brought his face inches from the Medic's, teeth bared. "You do not mention her name!"

"No – wait – listen!" the Autobot wheezed. "She's alive!"

Predaking dropped him. Every thought and movement frozen. "…what?"

"Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack found a human in the laboratory…" the medic panted through his pain. "…heavily injured… burned. Smokescreen brought her back to our base… We tended her wounds. She's still there."

He crushed the hope before it could even flicker in his chest. He moved off of the Autobot, he had to have some space. " _Lies!"_

"No. From Wheeljack's report, Shockwave took a shot at her before he fled. I suspect Megatron ordered her to be killed as well…"

Predaking blinked dumbly, his processor no longer able to function properly, too overloaded. He couldn't comprehend all of this. Miya was alive? Impossible! But what if it was true? Or what if it was some Autobot trick? His spark wouldn't be able to handle it if it turned out to be a false hope. But to think Megatron had ordered her death – the death of his brethren? "It… it can't be true – it can't be! Why would he do this?"

"Megatron despises the people of earth. Did you really think he would let you keep one?"

"But I was loyal to him! Why would he then wish to destroy us?"

"Having just been on the receiving end of your might, one theory springs to mind…" The medic paused, and made sure he held the gaze of the predacon so that his words would carry weight. "Megatron _fears_ you… and any like you."

And then it all clicked into place.

Predaking snarled, the rage once more back inside him so fiercely, he thought he would burst into flames. He turned and charged back into the ship interior. With a blaster he destroyed the doors that barred his way, erupting into the hall in a ball of flame and smoke. Vehicons inside immediately started to shoot at him, having sussed quickly that he was a threat to all of them.

He slaughtered them. One he shot down, one blast rendering it to pieces. He grabbed the second one, its helm crushed in his servos. A third ran at him, firing. With his other hand, Predaking punched it upwards so hard its body became lodged in the ceiling. Turning the corner, he was met with more fire. Using the body of the Vehicon still in his hand as a shield, whatever it's frame didn't absorb, Predaking's plates deflected with no difficulty. When he was close enough, he threw the body at one assailant and shot the other with his blaster.

Megatron would be at the bridge, so Predaking carved a direct path through the ship straight to there. He slaughtered every Decepticon he came across. He was no longer affiliated with them. Each one of them had betrayed him, had known he'd been played, had taken him for a fool. He would see all of them burn for that. And Megatron, he swore, would get the worst of it. All the strange actions, all the ways he'd made Predaking's spark not feel quite right, the dread he'd felt on that day, the way it had all seemed to convenient – it all made perfect sense now.

The Decepticon Lord had once had a loyal and fierce soldier in Predaking. His fire would have scorched the earth if Megatron had told him to. But now the master had turned on him, and his fire would be so great, he would be sure to not even leave a pile of molten metal. Predaking now had no master but himself.

He came to a set of doors, with three vehicons guarding the way. He blasted the first one, the second and third immediately bringing out their own guns in response. One charged him, but the other turned to the intercom.

"Lord Megatron! Predaking is on a rampage and moving rapidly toward the – _argh!"_ his words died when Predaking struck a hole through his spark chamber.

The last Vehicon tried to be clever and move around him rapidly to fire shots at his back. Predaking growled and spun fast enough to catch the soldier off guard. His claws closed around the vehicon's arm and he lifted him into the air. The thing screeched, Predaking snarled, and then smashed his helm against the body of his comrade he held in the other hand.

The door opened, and down the hall stood Megatron, flanked by Starscream and Knockout. Hate burned in the predacon's eyes as he threw the two vehicons into the walls on either side of him. Though Megatron tried to stare him down, appear imposing, Predaking was so large, the horns on his helm brushed the ceiling, the spikes on his shoulders almost as wide as the corridor itself. His shadow was cast over all of them, even though they were yards away. Starscream and Knockout shuffled away in fright. Megatron tried to not appear intimidated, but Predaking could see the slight twitch in his faceplates that he now knew told of his unease.

"Megatron!" he roared.

"I'll just go fetch that little something we talked about…" Knockout mumbled and hurriedly ran away back down the corridor.

Predaking ignored him, focused only on his enemy. "Is it true, that _you_ ordered the annihilation of my army?!"

"Indeed." Megatron retorted coolly. "And my only mistake was not seeing the extermination through."

From beneath his blaster, a long blade slid out of Megatron's wrist. Predaking brandished his sharp servos. He drew no weapon. He wouldn't need one.

With a roar, he charged. Megatron held his ground, blade pointed at eyelevel, ready to engage. When he reached him, Predaking made a swipe for him, but the older mech swung out of the way. In the same move, he spun and sliced his blade along Predaking's chest-plate. It did little more that scratch him and make him misstep from the force. Pushing his blows harder to try and make a dent, Megatron slashed diagonally across the predacon's body in rapid succession. Nothing made an impact.

No longer off guard, Predaking easily snatched hold of Megatron's arm before it could slice him again. With ease, he lifted the Decepticon lord off of the ground and swung him backwards into the wall. Megatron grunted under the force and bounced back to the ground.

His feet had barely touched the floor, when Predaking struck. All of the might of his strength was put into a single blow as he swung his fist under and into Megatron's middle. The force was enough to send the mech back up into the ceiling and keep him there. Metal crunched under Predaking's large fist. The pain was enough to even make Megatron's optics widen. Predaking hissed in his face and threw him back against the opposite wall.

Megatron's frame was already shaking. The old mech began to show his age as he fell to the ground and tried to hoist himself back up from one knee, but his limbs shook too badly to support him. Predaking took full advantage and picked up the body of one of the dead vehicons on the floor and charged.

"I WILL TEAR YOU APART!"

He used the body like a club and swung it into Megatron's face back and forth. It made the Decepticon stumble, but he remained on his feet. With a grunt, Predaking smashed the vehicon into Megatron's side. The body splintered into pieces and Megatron was sent flying back down the hall and didn't stop until he hit a closed door leading to the starboard pod-bay.

Megatron hastily tried to get up as Predaking advanced on him. Their hands met in a clash of force, both trying to push the other back. Megatron's arms trembled with the strength he tried to exert. His faceplates were contorted in effort and he roared into Predaking's face. The predacon had to give the old lord credit for being an obstacle, but he was no match for his sheer might. Predaking smirked and snarled as he forced Megatron all the way back until he was pressed against the door –

A missile blasted into his back, and struck right between his shoulder-plates on his spinal struts. The pain was enough to make Predaking contort and cry out, completely disorientated as his body tried to handle and then overcome the body-numbing pain.

Before he could get his bearings back, Megatron punched him across the face with all the strength he had. It was enough to make Predaking recoil. The mech grabbed his shoulders, and then suddenly the world spun as a foot kicked into Predaking's torso and he was sent flying through the now open doors. He hit against another door, and fell to a heap on the ground, dazed.

"That's the spirit…" he could hear the slow grin in Megatron's voice, even as the Lord panted and wheezed. "But I was a champion of the pits of Kaon not only due to my savage might… but also my _cunning!_ "

Predaking slowly got to his feet, bracing himself for another round. But none came, Megatron hit a button on the control panel beside him. Predaking frowned and tensed. Megatron hit a second button.

The doors behind him opened and the air sucked out through them was so forceful it threatened to blow him completely out of the airlock. The only way he was able to prevent it was to hurriedly snatch hold of either side of the door and brace himself against it. Megatron strolled up to him. Predaking tried to push himself upwards, but couldn't for fear of the air pushing him out.

"You should have heeded my advice," Megatron sneered. "And faced me as a beast!"

He aimed his cannon straight for Predaking's chest, and the predacon's optics widened. The blast almost ripped a whole right through him. Perhaps it was some miracle, or perhaps his armour was truly that tough, for while his processor blared alarms of injury, his spark chamber had been left untouched. But the pain and force of the blast was enough to knock Predaking straight out of the airlock and into empty air.

He screamed the whole way as he was flipped and spun through the air. He wished for his wings but everything was so fast all around him that he couldn't concentrate. For a brief and terrifying moment, he thought he was about to die.

Something struck him in the back with enough force, he thought his spinal struts would snap in half. Pushed by the air, he went to bounce, but on instinct, his arm reached out and hooked his claws into the surface.

When his optics finally focused, he found he was clung to hull of the _Nemesis_ , one of the ship main thrusters blowing air straight into his face. He looked at it and his mind whirled. An idea struck him and he glared ahead at the distant airlock he had just come from.

"You are not the only cunning one, Megatron."

In a fit of spite, Predaking transformed his free arm into a blaster and took careful aim. Hu summoned the most powerful shot he could, and fired straight into the thruster. There was a moment of silence, before the entire thing burst apart in a shower of fire and twisted metal and smoke.

Predaking was flung into the air once again, and though the pain still crippled him, he had the sense of mind to transform into his true self. His wings caught the wind and easily brought him out of danger enough for him to turn and watch the Nemesis fall from grace and begin its long descent to crash down towards the earth.


	29. Cybertron IV

**Author's Note: I've come to the realisation that I'm a review whore, and I am begging anyone to take pity and show me some love - give me those reviews! Please! ;P**

 **Also BIG AU elements incoming! I just thought this fight and the end of this movie needed to wrap up some of the closure that Predaking needed from some of his earlier struggles. Plus, he needed some more badass scenes. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

CYBERTRON IV

* * *

They found the Well of Allsparks… but so had Unicron.

As the ship came upon the hallowed ground from which the well cut into the planet surface in a straight tunnel presumably all the way to the core, Predaking and the Autobots saw their opposition in the distance. A haze of shadow and dark energon, like a cloud of smog had festered around the undead to give warning of the unnatural abominations that crawled across Cybertron. On the scanners, it showed a seemingly infinite horde of bodies, their movements jerky and stiff, like puppets on strings. And the puppeteer sat upon one predacon at the very head of the group… one that looked disturbingly like Predaking himself.

The autobots saw it, the skeletal remains of the predacon king – so much larger than all the others, with mandibles hung slack and wings broken and bent at odd angles. One of his horns was broken, the optics disfigured to glow a demonic purple, as well as a single spinal strut missing completely. And sat atop his shoulders was the Megatron/Unicron hybrid, riding the skeleton as if he were no more than a beast of burden. The autobots looked to Predaking, faces filled with concern for his reaction. But to all outward appearances, he remained stoic and undisturbed.

It took all of his willpower to keep up the façade.

Horror and outrage coursed through his frame, so hot he thought he would burst into flame. To see his ancestors treated so was enough to send him into a rage that promised every conceivable torture onto the one responsible. The insult which he was sure was purposeful to him on the part of Unicron was not lost on him and only further made him want to rip the demon's anti-spark out himself. But what was most unsettling was seeing the dead-mirror image of himself, it was as if he were looking into the future of what he would look like when he finally offlined and was left to rust. He was under no illusion that this was the specimen that Shockwave had partly excavated and used to clone him from. In a sense, Predaking felt as if he were looking upon his father, a desperate attempt to try and lessen the shock of looking at himself.

He was too numb to say anything when the Autobots fired upon the zombicon army when they were within range. The warship's cannons blasted through the ranks with no problem, and the bodies disintegrated into ash immediately upon being hit. However, despite the terracons' seeming fragility, the Nemesis couldn't cut enough of them out in one flyby to make any real difference to the horde. There were just too many of them. Even as Bulkhead tried to turn the ship as fast as possible to make another pass, it still took too long and allowed Unicron to launch his counter attack.

The horde took flight, and though the Nemesis tried to shoot them out of the sky, the sheer amount of numbers worked in their favour. Knockout paced back and forth, chewing his servos with anxiety.

"Maybe Starscream had the right idea…" he mumbled. Suddenly a skeletal body slammed into the glass, a muffled death-screech piercing through even the thick walls of the warship. Knockout leapt back with a scream: "Zombiecon! Zombiecon!"

Predaking recovered to bark his commands. "Skylynx! Darksteel! Get out there and keep them off this ship!"

He and his fellow predacons ran out of the ship. The moment they reached the flight deck, they transformed and shot into the air. Their generators burned bright through the night, briefly turning the entire plain to the light of day with every blast of fire. It caused Predaking's spark a small twinge of sorrow every time he had to destroy the bones of his once mighty people.

But just as with the Nemesis, no matter how many the Predacons downed, the Terracons seemed to be infinite in number. Predaking was only aware that things had gone horribly sideways when he realised that whilst he, Skylynx and Darksteel had managed to successfully repel an attack to the front of the warship, a whole platoon had gone to the rear and began to shoot their dark-energon dragonfire at the thrusters. It only took one shot to a very weak thruster. The very one that had been quickly and not-so-well-repaired after Predaking had destroyed it. The one blast was enough to make nearly the entire flank of the ship explode and send it crushing into the ground, just like it had not so long ago.

By some miracle, the actual integrity of the ship was maintained, as it scrapped along the metal ground and came to halt just in front of the well. With the ship downed, the Terracon army seemed to lose interest and returned to their master, as if they didn't have even the basic processor capacity to think for themselves and check to see if their enemies were dead, how Predaking would have. It was just another reminder to him that these mockeries were not the proud beasts they had once been in life.

As if by design, the ship had stopped in the perfect place so as to almost form a blockade to the Well. And not long after, he spotted the Autobots climbing out of the wreckage, carrying whatever weapons had survived on the Nemesis. Predaking snarled to his fellow living predacons, and they followed him down to land with their new allies. They transformed, and quickly checked to make sure that no one was injured. Only then did they all grimly turn to see the impossible odds approaching.

Unicron came charging over the horizon, his army at his heels. Even from across the distance, they all could feel his optics upon them, could feel the foulness he carried in his veins like a poison that only became stronger the closer he came.

"We're the last line of defence!" Bumblebee stood, ready like a warrior.

Despite their differences, Predaking had to admit that he admired the Autobot's courage even in the face of certain death. "I would recommend leaving that to those more suited to the task." He suggested.

Bumblebee looked up at him, as if shocked he'd offered to take on such a mission that had no chance of success. And yes, Predaking was more than aware that he was more than likely sending himself and his new brothers into peril that would more than likely mean they would all be terminated. He would never have his revenge, never have his closure. But this was the right thing to do. He knew Miya would be proud of that.

From across the plain, they heard the echo of Unicron's words in Megatron's voice; his command, his challenge and warcry all in one: "My Legion! The time is upon us! Destroy Primus with your dragonfire!"

The horde of Terracon's took to the sky, the beat of their wings enough to create a storm of wind that whipped at the flames that now encased the crashed Nemesis. The Autobots and Predacons watched them come, a flock of death that came ever closer. But Predaking's scanners bleeped a small alert, and directed his attention back to Unicron, where his steed had not taken off. The skeletal reflection was still stood beside its master.

As if he sensed Predaking's eyes, Unicron looked to Predaking and pointed at him. From afar, his words could be heard. "Bring me their Sparks."

With a roar that sounded far too familiar, the skeletal-Pradaking leapt into the air and shot towards the group with all the speed and ferocity that Predaking himself carried when on the hunt to kill. The Autobots quaked, even Predaking was disturbed to watch his reflection, his sire, come towards him. Yet still he knew what must be done, and so stepped forward.

"Skylynx, Darksteel." He said calmly, with as much dignity he could muster without taking his optics from his dead-self. "Take pride in what you are. And fight for this world, fight for your ancestors, and fight for each other. It is the one thing he will not take away from you."

He didn't need to see their spinal-struts straighten with pride and honour, his small speech empowering them as only their love of their king could do. He felt it in his spark, and felt the reconciliation that if this was to be the day that he was terminated, it would be with the knowledge that he had known brotherhood, had known a pack, and had known a family before the end. He touched the green dragon-head on his chestplate, his spark echoed its now familiar requiem. Yes. Today was a good day to die.

"Allow nothing to enter the well!" and with that one last command, he transformed and bolted into the air. One mighty thrust of his wings and he was launched across the space to meet his fate head on.

He tried to blast the undead king with his fire, but as if it anticipated it, the Terracon rolled out of the way and struck at Predaking from below. They clashed in a fountain of sparks. Predaking loathed the touch of the rusted metal that was shaped too similarly to his own, hated to look into the familiar face. For a moment, he was reminded of what it was like to have Unicron take control of his mind, to leave him powerless to his manipulations. His hesitancy was enough to allow his counterpart to dominate him and send them both crashing to the floor. Pain exploded along Predaking's side and he roared. The impact managed to throw his copy off of him, and it gave him the chance to roll back to all fours.

One of the terracon's legs had been broken so that it stuck at an odd angle. But the beast moved as if this hindrance was nothing. It felt no pain and still came at him with all the fury it possessed. It blasted molten dark-energon at him, and the only way for Predaking to be protected from it was to match it with his own fire. The two forces clashed in the middle, a beautiful yet deadly display of purple and orange flames attempting to win over the other. Predaking was so focused on trying to keep the poisonous flames at bay, that he didn't see the side attack come until his dead-twin's tail smashed over his head.

Again and again, the undead-predaking hit him over and over with clobbering blows to the neck and face. Predaking got in his own hits but realised very quickly that he was holding back. It was too unsettling to fight not only one of his own kind that had been defiled into its current state, but also himself with a deathly-face. It felt like he was staring into the face of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and doomed to do nothing to avoid it. He'd known he'd been cloned, a copy of someone from ages passed. But to see it himself, all his genetical memories all came flooding to the surface. All those of what he once was: a king, a hunter, a merciless killer, a leader, a victor, it all rushed through him. And it all made the sad excuse in front of him all the more tragic.

In the face of his past self, something burrowed into his spark and made him doubt _everything_. The full meaning of the word _clone_ became clear. He was little more than a copy, not the real thing. A shameful attempt to recapture what had once been. A waste considering the fruitless and lacking life he'd had when compared to the ancient bones of this monster that had breathed and lived for decades the true life of a king. He'd been created without permission, taken into being and given life without earning it – this one had been born, whereas he was the seed of a syringe.

He truly was a mere _beast_.

In his distraction, he didn't see the purple fire come until it was too late. It blasted across his chest and rolled up his shoulders. He screamed in agony, felt the dark-energon attempt to poison his very spark. It brought him to his knees, by some miracle able to resist the touch of such a dark substance that had sought to extinguish his very life-blood.

Something fell to the ground with a soft _clink_. Predaking glanced up, and his optics widened with horror. Upon the floor had fallen the little green dragon-head. The fire had dislodged it and now it lay partly melted and decayed on the ground. Predaking's mandibles fluttered in distress, a whimper escaping him as if he could already feel his memories slipping away with this tiny reminder gone.

A shadow came over him, and a skeletal claw smashed onto the ground and crushed the necklace under heel. The death-king stood high and primed for the kill, fangs bared, uncaring for what it had just done.

And that was when Predaking felt something hot stir in his spark. It flittered out through his frame, flooded into his limbs, roared up his neck. A fire burned him, its roar deafened him. He was _enraged_. This dead king had never known love, had never known the feel of a sparkling held close in his servos. For all his memories of conquest and majesty, he had never known the happiness of having a child. And that was how they were both so different, even with the same skin.

This one had lived for nothing but his own survival. Predaking lived for the survival of others – for his brethren, for his planet, for his Miya.

This one was the beast. Predaking was more than that.

The memory of this predacon had been his jailor, an oppressor on his subconscious to constantly live up to his expectations. And now Predaking was done beings its prisoner.

With a roar, he launched at the Terracon. It attempted to bat him down again, but with surprising ease he shrugged off its attempts to maul him. His claws sliced through its skeleton with no resistance. The creature screeched its death-throes, but Predaking silenced it as his fangs pierced its neck. He shook it like a ragdoll, heard the spinalstruts snap and the neck dislocate from his strength. Claws hooked around each mandible he pulled them apart until the jaw opened as wide as it could go. The Terracon screeched up at him, and Predaking used the opening to blast his fire down the beast's throat. Almost instant, the inside of the creature lit up like a sun, and exploded in a fountain of ash – and was no more.

Predaking slumped, the mental and emotional ordeal more exhausting than the meagre physical test. He looked about, but saw that the field was clear of Terracons… and Skylynx and Darksteel. A feeling of sickening dread filled his spark – they must've been overwhelmed, swept into the Well. He gazed back down at the ground and crooned his sorrow at seeing the now destroyed necklace upon the floor.

An engine roared overhead, and he looked up. A small ship flew over the battlefield. In the distance, the Autobots cheered. A moment later he realised why, when the floor to the ship opened and Optimus Prime flew out. It was as if with the Prime's mere presence, he lifted the spirits of all those who fought for him. The Prime flew straight for Unicron, but when they collided, Unicron's blast of Dark Energon was sent off course and hit the small ship. One of the engines burst and the ship was sent crashing into the ground. Two of the Autobots abandoned the field to search the wreckage.

The Prime fought on against the Destroyer. Predaking watched and felt his anger return. This was the one who had mutilated his species. This was the one who had invaded and humiliated him. This was the one that dared to taunt him with his own image. This was the one who dared to cause the destruction of the last link he had to earth and Miya. No. He would not stand for it a moment longer.

He got up and charged.

"Thank you, Prime," he heard Unicron say with Megatron's voice. "For delivering the Allspark so that I may erase it from existence!"

"Not while I stand before you Unicron." The Prime stood, ever defiant, ever noble.

They launched for each other. Unicron's fist drove into Optimus's helm, whilst the Prime's met the Destroy's chin in an uppercut. Both were momentarily dazed by the force, and then both were at each other again. Predaking took to the air and increased his speed.

As he fought on, punch after punch, Optimus spoke out to the soul smothered within his own body. "Megatron! You and I once united to save a world from Unicron. We must do so again!"

Unicron shook him off, and growled savagely. "Megatron may hear you – but he cannot _help_ you!"

Predaking transformed and dropped out of the sky. "Then I shall!"

His feet smashed right on top of Unicron's shoulders, his weight and impact enough to crush the bot into the ground. Without missing a beat he drove his fist into the back of the Destroyer's head with all his strength. A kick sent the body hurtling a hundred yards. He turned to his former enemy.

For the rest of his days, he didn't think he would ever forget the look in the look in the Prime's eyes. "Thank you, Predaking."

"For Cybertron."

"For us all."

They ran as one together. As if they had fought together for years, as one their fists simultaneously smashed into a recovering Unicron. Optimus then rent for a roundhouse to the enemy's face, and Predaking batted him back when his sharp servos scrapped lacerations a foot deep in Megatron's new chestplate. Unicron tried to hit back and strike for the Prime, but he blocked the blow and punched him backwards. Predaking performed the same move as he had done back on Antarctica, leaping into the air and spinning to kick Unicron in the back of the helm. He transformed mid-flip, and landed on all fours. Prime dodged just in time to avoid the blast of fire that Predaking unleashed onto Unicron. As before, he heard the bot scream and agony as his frame threatened to melt in the superheated inferno that he now found himself in.

In a desperate attempt to be free, Unicron lashed out with a whip of Dark Energon that smacked Predaking straight across the face. It sent him reeling, and before Optimus could cover him, he too was knocked to the ground. The demon-in-Megatron stood over them, furious purple optics focused on Prime as he shook from pain, exertion and fury.

"Your efforts to protect Cybertron's most _sacred_ relic are _futile_!" he fumed. "My legion is within reach of Primus. Your planet's very core! And we both know that the Allspark cannot thrive in a poisoned world!"

Predaking twisted and sank his fangs into Unicron's arm. He shook him and wrenched with all his might. Unicron cried his outrage and attempted to form his dark-energon hammer around his hand as he had done in their previous fight. Before he could, Predaking threw him into the air and transformed in time so that as the enemy came down, his fist smashed into his faceplates.

Unicron bounced back and came at him with an infuriated scream, determined to destroy him once and for all, Predaking thought. Dark Energon wove into weapons around him, and with every hit, Predaking felt himself grow weaker as the poison sapped his strength. But still he fought. On and on, even with Unicron possessing him, Megatron was still unable to match Predaking for strength. Something he took full advantage of.

Just as it had ended on that fateful day aboard the warship, Predaking found his fists clenched and met halfway with Megatron's. Unicron glared down at him through Megatron's optics across the stalemate. Predaking didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him weak and slowly stood to his full height until he loomed over the other bot.

"You _dare_ to challenge me?!" the Destroyer seethed.

Predaking bared his teeth. "I dare. And you shall lose, _Demon!_ "

"Oh really? And why is that?"

The predacon smirked. "You are not as cunning as Megatron."

It was only then that the Destroyer realised that Optimus was nowhere in sight. In fact, the bot had flown half way across the plain, away from the ship wreckage, the Allspark clutched in his servos. Instantly, Unicron roared and blasted Predaking away from him with an explosion of energon. Transforming he flew after Optimus in a hunt to possess that which he carried. Predaking rolled back to his feet and launched into the air, wings beating frantically in order to catch up.

Unicron only took a single shot, and fired it straight for Optimus's thrusters. They went out like a light, and the bot crashed into the ground, the Allspark cradled against his chest. Unicron dropped from the sky and wrenched it out of his hands. Predaking felt his spark flutter with panic and pushed a surge of speed to try and make it in time.

"I shall devour your Allspark whole!" Unicron declared and opened the container.

Predaking's optics widened with horror, awaiting to see the great fountain of light and life be destroyed…

But nothing.

Unicron seemed just as shocked: "What?! A trick!"

And then suddenly, he was frozen. His frame shook as dark energon came out from every plate and cable on his body. Purple flames rippled across the body and were sucked down into the container. Predaking was shocked to see a face morph from the energy over Megatron's attempting to hold himself in the world and not be drawn in.

Predaking landed right behind Megatron and transformed. Even as Unicron tried to claw his way back into his host, he knew he couldn't risk it. His claws came up at an angle to slice through under one of the plates of armour and sink into a soft spot. The blow carved him a path straight to the sparkchamber. He felt the energy within try to ward him off, but he clenched his hand around the spark, and with one almighty wrench tore it out of the body in a shower of energon and electricity. The body juddered and jerked as it tried to sustain itself unsuccessfully. With one last cry as his last hold was severed, Unicron's energy shot into the air and was instantly swallowed whole into the container and locked inside.

Megatron's body fell to its knees before falling face first into the ground. Predaking stood over him, Spark still clutched in his hand. "For my Brethren." He spat and crushed it in his fist.

He looked up to see Prime watching him, a sad almost melancholy gleam in his optics as he gazed upon the body of Megatron. He held the container, in which the purple swirling mass of Unicron writher within. The Autobots came around them, their optics wide with awe.

"But… how?" Smokescreen asked.

"As a being comprised of pure energy," Optimus said, "Unicron's anti-spark was vulnerable to this reliquary of the Primes."

"But if he's in there… where's the–?"

"What about the Zombiecons?" Bulkhead asked urgently.

Predaking turned away to speak into his comms worriedly. "Skylynx? Darksteel?!"

There was a moment too long of pause.

And then…

"All the Terracons have been destroyed, Predaking." Came the voice of Skylynx. "Primus remains pure."

Predkaing couldn't help the ever-so-small and exhausted smile. "Well done, predacons. Well… done…"

And then he collapsed.


	30. Predacon's Reunion

**Author's Note: I am sooooooooooooooo sorry this took so long, lovely readers! Unfortunately I've been having some computer-dying issues, but now that it's fixed, I am updating everything I can - so I hope this chapter makes up for it.**

 **As always please please please don't forget to review - I live for your attention!**

* * *

Predacon's Reunion

"All hands brace for impact!" Megatron screamed through the intercom, where he himself held onto the railing on the bridge. Startscream and Knockout behind him clung to whatever they could hold. Soundwave was the only one who remained at his post, servos dashing over his console as he worked the ship that was plummeting towards the ground. Alarms deafened, lights flashed, sparks flew. The very hull of the ship groaned as it threatened to tear in half from the immense pressure of their fall.

With one last dance across the console, Soundwave commanded a last boost of power to the front thrusters just seconds before impact. Those aboard felt the front of the jump upwards to just the right degree so that the ship landed flat.

The smack of the ship driving into the ground was so strong, it sent all cybertronians and even Megatron and the Dark Star Sabre into the air before crashing back to the floor. They heard the scream of metal, felt the judder as the ship dragged itself through the earth from its momentum. Further alarms of fires, hull breaches and other catastrophes sounded on their systems, right before the power went out and the ship came to a stop.

As the shaky Decepticons arose, they realised unanimously that the only reason they were still functioning and the ship was still in one piece, was because of Soundwave's excellent manoeuvring. Megatron himself stood with a groan, aching right down to his core frame. His fight with the predacon had left him exhausted, but he refused to show any weakness in front of his soldiers. Instead he fixed all of them with the rapidly evaporating patience in his red optics.

"Soundwave," he spat. "Report."

Soundwave stood and turned to his master with his ever graceful and fluid movements. Upon his faceplate, he showed a blueprint of the Nemeses, with a blinking red light indicating that one of the main thrusters was compromised. Megatron grit his teeth. Just when he thought this day couldn't get any worse. He turned to his remaining officers.

"Knockout! Take the vehicons and quickly see to it that all damages are repaired. I don't care for aesthetics at this point; just make this ship flyable! Soundwave will co-ordinate you with his necessary data. Shockwave – be sure our reconstructed Omegalock remains intact and is ready for deployment the moment we're airborn once more. And Starscream," he turned to the Seeker, and the murderous intent in his optics had Starscream recoil slightly with nerves. Megatron's voice dipped dangerously low. "Find the source of this _disruption_ … and exterminate it. By whatever means you deem necessary."

Starscreams anxiety instantly vanished, and was replaced with a devilish smirk. He bowed. "Of course, my liege…"

* * *

A drop of energon fell from the sky and landed amidst the wilderness and dusty earth. Predaking shrugged his wing joints, and attempted to not allow his laboured wingbeats to hinder him too much. The wound from Megatron was bad, but it would not hinder him from his goal – he would not allow it! He hadn't stuck around to watch the Nemesis crash completely into the earth; he couldn't care less about it anymore. That part of his life was now done. Another part he'd once thought dead was now his only focus.

He flew over valley and forest, through the flat plains and deep into the heart of the wilderness that the human authorities banded as "restricted" to others. Drops of his precious life-blood dropped behind him like breadcrumbs every thousand yards or so, but he did not care. His optics remained trained on that distant spec which he'd pulled from the archives. When Smokescreen had returned from his imprisonment, he'd brought with him the co-ordinates for Unit E, the base of the Autobots. Starscream had been ordered to obliterate it and all the autoboots within, and for once, Predaking prayed to Primus that the Seeker's incompetency held true this time as well! How cruel could fate be if he arrived at the co-ordinates, only to discover that he had lost Miya _again_ to another fiery explosion!

The dread, the possibility that this was all some trick, some false hope that his insanity now desperately clung to, was like a virus in his system. It was always in his processor, always making him doubt. The blade edge of despair tilted precariously from where he stood on its edge, ready to slice him in two if he succumbed to it. The only thing keeping him from going mad at this point was the errant, straggling belief that kept his spark humming with anticipation.

Alarms blared through his systems as they reported that someone had a lock on his position. A few moments later, and human aircrafts raced through the sky to intercept him. Predaking growled at them, and thrust his aching wings for another burst of speed to rip right past them. He'd be damned to the Pit itself if he thought he'd let these pesky humans stop him now. The jets tried to turn tightly and follow him, but he dived and swerved and rolled in order to avoid them opening fire. Another alarm sounded right before a tank-shell came shooting towards him. A flap of his wings drove him higher just in time to avoid the shot.

Pain sliced across his chest – his wound was being aggravated by the movement. Knowing he couldn't dally long, Predaking put as much speed into his wings as he could with his last reserves of strength. He left the jets far behind him and raced far too quickly for the human ground-weapons to track him. Energon was almost flowing freely down his left arm now.

Finally he saw it – the base! Unit E! One hanger on the military base was completely destroyed, and Predaking felt his spark seize for a brief moment. But then he saw the Unit E that he was looking for, intact and unharmed. The attack must've only focused on one target (which apparently hadn't been identified correctly) instead of blowing up the entire base. Thank Primus for the stupidity of Starscream!

Soldiers were running onto the tarmac, weapons pointed at him, tanks and all other ground vehicles were wheeling in and training their weapons on him. Predaking dropped from the sky and transformed during his fall. On impact, his knees almost buckled as they nearly refused to take his weight. Damn it, he'd never felt so weak. Gritting his teeth, he pushed it aside and marched towards the hanger. Humans ran to get out of his way before could he crushed them underfoot, and for those vehicles that refused to be moved, he backhanded them out of his way.

He hooked his sharp servos in the door gap and sheered it open to burst his way inside. There, he discovered the autobots waiting for him. Each had their blasters trained on him, scowls on their faces. They looked tired, emotional worn out, probably over their missing medic and his entrance had probably just rubbed insult to their wounds. But he could care less about any of that.

Optimus Prime stepped forward and began to speak with him, but Predaking didn't hear the words. He looked at the ground for any sign of a small figure, but found none. His sanity threatened to disintegrate.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" he roared at them.

The autobots paused and looked to each other, taken aback at this unexpected development.

And then, a tiny voice came from the back of the room. " _Predaking_?!"

And then he saw her, and couldn't believe she was real. That same mop of auburn hair, those green eyes staring up at him… she was running to him, eyes glistening as she tried to run through the legs of the autobots to get to him.

"No, Miya! Wait!" the young blue mech yelped in panic and snatched Miya up off the ground to hold her close to his chassis.

Predaking's arm transformed into a blaster and was pointed at the mech's head within a millisecond. Rage coursed through him at the sight of the enemy keeping his Miya from him like this. "Put her down, autobot scum!"

The autobot glared right back at him, blue optics like ice. "I'm not letting you get anywhere near her, Decepticon Beast!"

The big wrecker, Bulkhead, nodded. "It's a dirty trick – wants us to let our guard down."

"The beast will use the native as a shield." Muttered Ultramagnus. "Do not relinquish her, Smokescreen."

"Hold fire!" Optimus Prime commanded and raised his hand for silence. All the autobots fell to his authority immediately. The Prime turned to Predaking, tone softer. "Let us resolve this–"

"I'll resolve it when Miya is returned to me." The predacon shot back, his optics having never left the girl captive in Smokescreen's servos. "Put the girl down, or I'll rip out your throat."

"Stop it! Stop it all of you!" Miya shouted at the top of her lungs, finally drawing attention to herself. She looked up at her captor, eyes and voice beseeching. "Smokescreen, put me down."

He gaped down at her. "What? Miya, no! I'm not letting a 'Con hurt you again!"

"He won't hurt me. Just put me down, Smokescreen." After a moment, she quietly added: "Please."

There was a moment where no one moved, and Predaking subtly called upon his generator to prime his blaster ready to fire should the autobot not comply. But then, slowly, as if waiting for Predaking to twitch wrong, Smokescreen lowered his hand to the ground. Instantly, Miya hopped off and ran across the open space towards Predaking. His breath held in his vents as she came closer, his servos shook ever so slightly. He knelt and offered her his free hand. She climbed into his palm without any hesitation. He brought close against his chest, and finally felt his spark beam with joy and relief and all other overwhelming emotions. His knees almost collapsed again. Finally, he was at the end of his journey, Miya was real and with him again. The temptation to curl up on the floor and let it all wash over him was so strong he almost complied. Miya's little hands touched his chest plate as he pulled her close to embrace her. The sound of her soft tears reached him, and one servo stroked her back reassuringly, for both himself and her. For how long had he once thought he'd never see her again? But now his sparkling was returned to him. All was right with the world.

Well, almost. Realising his autobot audience, Predaking was reminded of his pressing need to escape. He aimed his blaster at Prime, determined to get one shot in order to buy them time to –

"No, Predaking – don't!" Miya yelled in panic and stood up, arms outstretched to get his attention. "Don't hurt them, please. They're my friends."

The words shouldn't have affected him, but they stung something deep in his gears. He looked down at the girl in his hand, as if checking she'd misspoken. But she stared up at him defiantly. Dead serious in what she'd just said. Predaking narrowed his optics, and wondered if the autobots had brainwashed her whilst he'd been gone.

"You're hurt! Optimus!" she gasped when she noticed the wound on his chest and the droplets of energon leaking from it. She quickly spun to the Prime. "Please Optimus, we need to patch him up – he's hurt."

Wheeljack scoffed. "That scrape's the least he deserves…"

"Are we going to start wasting our preciously low resources on an enemy, Optimus?" Ultramagnus asked with a pointed look.

Optimus sighed, his optics soft on Miya. Predaking repressed the urge to tighten his servos around her in order to shield her from sight. "Miya, please understand that I cannot condone any form of action until I know all the information. Explain to us the nature of how you know the predacon."

Predaking spat at the presumptuous autobot group. "Miya is _my_ Sparkling!"

 _That_ shut them up.

Smokescreen was the first to break from his slack-jawed astonishment. "W-what? No way! He's lying!"

Miya shook her head and spoke up. "Predaking took care of me when I was on board the Nemesis. He kept me safe when all the other robots wanted to kill me. He looked after me – cared about me."

"But he's a Decepticon!"

"I have learned of Megatron's treachery." Predaking growled. "I am his slave no longer."

The yellow and black scout tapped Optimus's elbow. " _Beep-bur bop whizz_."

"I agree, Bumblebee: Miya's word is enough to satisfy me. And if the predacon has truly severed all ties with his former master, then by proxy it would make us allies."

Predaking shot the prime a glare. "Not likely."

"Even so. We will offer you whatever medical aid you require, Predaking, so long as you pose no threat to us."

Damn that prime and his delicate, almost-fatherly tone. He had to make everything sound so reasonable. It was made worse when Miya turned back to him and made her eyes big with pleading. "Please Predaking, let them check you over."

"I would rather offline then be touched by any autobot."

"Then let me do it." She insisted hastily. Predaking's brow-plates rose; since when had she had a medic's skills? She looked sheepishly at the floor. "Ratchet used to let me watch – and I even helped out a time or two with Ultramagnus. If someone tells me what to do, I could do it."

The mention of the medic made him unsure of himself. Miya's tone indicated she was fond of the autobot he'd nearly beaten to death. Her eyes continued to gaze into his optics, and he was powerless to her charms. "Very well."

The yellow scout led them back into the hanger and towards a table that supposedly was for medical purposes. Predaking hesitated, staring at it to make sure there were no surprise restraints hidden somewhere. After a moment, he seemed satisfied and gingerly laid himself down upon it. Miya immediately set to work to staunch the energon flow and give him a basic patch up. Bumblebee watched from afar, putting in the occasional noise to direct Miya's progress. It wasn't a brilliant job, just something that would hold him over until he healed on his own or saw a medic himself. Yet as she worked, Predaking couldn't help his optics from staying on the girl to make sure she wasn't going anywhere. After so long without her, he was reluctant to let her out of his sight for fear she would vanish again. And during his observation, he finally noticed what had seemed to be different about her – the burns. The skin on her right cheek, down the right side of her neck and down her right arm was mottled and twisted with burns. They poked out from underneath her clothes, stark in contrast to her pale skin with their angry red lines. It caused his spark to tremble with worry and grief as to what could have made her suffer so. He remembered the medic saying she'd been injured, but this…

"What have they done to you, Miya?" he whispered, one servo on his free hand coming up to graze around the back of her head. She looked up at him and for a moment appeared lost, and then she looked away, hiding her right side from him as if she were ashamed. The autobots. It must've been them. Had they tortured her for information? It made his energon boil! "I'll make them pay for this!"

"What? No! No-no-no, this wasn't them." She hastily said when she caught on to what he meant. His optics glared at her to hurriedly explain, and she swallowed thickly. "I, uh, got it the day the lab blew up… the one-eyed robot–"

"Shockwave?"

"Yeah. He tried to shoot me… I can't feel my arm anymore…" her voice grew quiet as she stared down at her own ruined flesh. Predaking's insides twisted painfully. "But the autobots saved me, Predaking. They helped me get better."

The admiration in her voice, the way she looked over her shoulder to smile at them at the mere mention of them, the way she constantly defended them… it all churned inside the predacon. He tried to not let the sting from earlier take control of him. It was ridiculous to think that Miya would ever betray him, least of all to the autobots. But he couldn't help the very idea from hurting all the same.

" _They_ destroyed the lab, Miya." He ground out, trying to restrain his voice. "Project Predacon is destroyed, my brethren slaughtered. They are my enemies. Do you not realise that?"

"I do. And I'm upset about that too, but…"

His optics flashed. " _But?!_ Miya, you're awfully well at ease in the presence of murderers."

"Hey! That's not fair!" she shot back at him with a fire he had almost forgotten she possessed. Her eyes glistened even as her cheeks grew red with indignation. "You think I wanted this? I waited for you to come and get me – every day I thought you would get here and take me back. I kept asking and asking where you were. I wanted you to come back. But you didn't!"

"I thought you were dead."

"And all that time _they_ looked after me! I didn't appreciate it then, but I do now. They even stopped the cops and fat-cats from getting me." She looked away, trying to regain control. Predaking waited, ignoring some of her strange words. Finally, she looked back at him, defeated, her words a whisper. "Can't you at least try to be thankful for that?"

Predaking sighed. The fight drained out of him. What was he doing? He had Miya back with him at last and he was wasting it arguing with her? To hear that she'd been waiting for him, it both saddened his spark that she'd been so alone and made him happy to think that she still wanted to be with him. But this old hatred, one he'd seemingly had since his creation, would die hard. Yet for Miya's sake he knew he had to try to put it behind them.

"Miya," he murmured softly, the knuckle of a servo gently propping her chin up so that she would look into his optics. "Every second I'm here, I'm more convinced this isn't some hopeful dream brought about by grief. And I'm thankful to my core, to Primus and every star in this universe that I finally found you again."

"But?"

"I'll never like them, Miya. Not after everything that's happened." Her eyes darted to the ground in disappointment, but he didn't see the point in lying to her now. "But for you… I'm so happy to get you back, I'll thank them for that opportunity, at least."

Her lips twitched into smile. How he'd missed it. "That's better."

"Indeed. Everything is better now." He let his own lips shift into a smile as he glanced down at her handiwork. "Are you nearly finished?"

"Oh! Yes, um, just a few more…" she hurriedly finished off the patch and tied everything away. Predaking restrained his chuckle for the sake of her pride. Finally she stood to attention, hands open to show nothing in them. "There! Done!"

"Shall we go then?" he held out his palm for her to climb on – he was eager to be finally gone.

"Uh…" Miya's face fell, stricken, as she glanced worriedly at his offered hand. "I'm not going back to that ship."

"What?" the surprise statement had his processor reeling to catch up on what she meant. Why would she say something like that? Did that mean she didn't want to go back with him after all? He glared over his shoulder at where Smokescreen stood hovering just out of earshot, where he'd been the whole time. "Is this that bot's influence?"

Miya threw him a look. "I ain't stupid, Predaking. I know that place ain't good for me. I wanna go with you, but I don't want to be scared anymore."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. I'm never taking you back there again. We will never be troubled by the Decepticons."

She looked surprised, evidently not expecting that. When she realised what that actually meant, her smile melted away any unease he'd felt. "So where're we gonna go?"

"Anywhere you like. Name a place, and we'll make it home."

And he meant every single word. No matter where Miya wanted to go on this planet, so long as he had energon (and he still had maps in his processor of all the Decepticon mine locations) he would be happy to stay with her. They would be a family, father and daughter, them vs the world. Miya understood what this meant, he knew it in the way her eyes misted over with her brightest smile. She lunged at him to attach herself to his chest-plate and embrace him. Predaking folded his hands around her to hold her back, and allowed his spark to sing in a way it hadn't done for so long.

With everything settled between them, Predaking gathered Miya up and climbed off of the table. Bumblebee cracked a few goodbye-noises, and Miya waved back at him. Predaking tried to march towards the front door where he'd entered. But he didn't make it far before the young mech planted himself in their way.

"You're taking Miya?" Smokescreen asked, tone and optics hard.

Predaking didn't bother to hide the way his lips curled over his teeth. "Just try to stop me, autobot."

"The big bad attitude don't scare me, pal." The young mech proclaimed, even as his feet shuffled to state the contrary. "I've been Miya's guardian, and I don't trust you to keep her safe."

That one went too far. Jealousy and anger made Predaking clench his sharp servos into Smokescreen's collar and drag him forward into his face. "Insult me like that again, and I'll pull your spark out through your throat."

"Hey, Predaking? Let me down." Came Miya's soft voice. Predaking blinked, and looked down at the girl in his palm in surprise. "I wanna say goodbye to Smokescreen. He's been a good friend – my best friend."

Smokescreen beamed when his optics affectionately turned onto the young girl. Predaking wanted to smash his faceplates in for it. "You too, kiddo."

He was loathed to allow it. He didn't like the cocky young mech. Yet he could see no way to reasonably say no. Releasing Smokescreen with a shove, Predaking bent down to gently let Miya off on the ground. She gave him a reassuring smile, as if she knew how much he was hating this. And then she ran to Smokescreen. The mech picked her up with a practised ease that grated down Predaking's spinal struts. He took a step back to give the pair the illusion of privacy whilst staying within range to attack should the autobot prove incapable of treating his sparkling with care. He was so focused on glaring daggers at the mech, he didn't notice Optimus Prime walking towards him until he was right beside him.

Optimus followed Predaking's gaze towards Miya and Smokescreen. "I never believed I would see the day a Decepticon would treat a human as he would his own Sparkling."

"I told you, Prime." Predaking murmured quietly. "I am no longer a Decepticon."

"Indeed." Optimus nodded and turned to look at the predacon beside full in the face. "Regardless, I respect you for this devotion, Predaking. It makes me believe that if others could show such compassion, then one day we might all know peace on Cybertron once more."

"You would be at peace with me? Even after I have maimed and almost killed several of your soldiers in this very room?"

"My autobots are more than just my soldiers. They are my family. It is something I have always believed in; that all Cybertronians, whether they be Autobot, Decepticon… or Predacon, they are all the children of Primus – one family. Only when we can all realise this, will we be able to return to our restored planet."

Predaking pondered those words. Some part of him thought it utterly naïve and stupid. Who could possibly expect two sides like the Decepticons and Autobots to ever re-join in peace? After so much war and bloodshed, it would be impossible for any individual to bury the resentment and hate completely. Yet for some reason his spark refused to let the words die completely. That the Prime commanded such loyalty and resilience from those around him proved that something he did was correct. Treating them as family? Was that the answer. His mind went back to the Nemesis, of the one member of this odd family still aboard it.

"Prime." He called after the mech that had begun to walk away. "The Nemesis crash landed. It is disabled for now, but I do not know how long it will remain before Megatron will get it operational once more. These are the coordinates. If you hurry you can save your medic, and stop Megatron's plan to Cyberform Earth."

The blue of the prime's optics flooded with warmth and relief. "Thank you, Predaking. I shall not forget this."

"This is my thanks for saving Miya. Nothing has changed." He grumbled. For it was true. This was now a debt repaid in full. The Autobots had still committed great atrocities against him which he would never forget.

Optimus nodded his heavy hearted understanding, and walked away, presumably to prepare his troops for an all-out assault on the warship. Predaking didn't care to join them. He needed to get Miya someplace safe, his time for revenge on Megatron's betrayal would come soon enough. The thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the femme, Arcee. Her faceplates were hardened, as if she had something unpleasant stuck between her eyes.

"Predacon." She nodded, though she didn't pretend to adopt a friendly tone with him.

Predaking folded his arms across his chest and shot her tone right back at her. "Two-Wheeler."

"Look, I know Optimus might not say anything, so I'm just going to come out with it." She murmured with a shake of her head. When she looked back at him, her blue optics were hard and unyielding as a wall of ice. "You can't take Miya."

"You think to turn on me?" Predaking growled, every part of him now on alert for a potential trap. "I'll say again: try to stop me."

"No, you don't understand. Miya _can't_ leave… she's not yours to take. She's no ones to take."

"Explain yourself."

"Miya's an orphan, Predaking." That hard gaze flickered, turned soft and sympathetic for a fraction of a second. "Two officials came by looking for her a while back, they wanted to take her back into custody. She has no parents, so she is claimed by the human child-care system. They want to find her a real family."

Predaking bristled at the very idea of someone threating to come and take Miya away. "I am her family now."

"Don't get me wrong, I know you would die to protect her. I feel the exact same way about Jack. But despite the fact that I love him like my own, I don't delude myself into thinking that I could ever take care of him permanently, not when someone else of his own species could. Think about it: what are you gonna do to support Miya? How are you going to feed her, clothe her, give her a home? Steal all the time? Live out in the wilderness away from people? What if she gets sick?"

"We survived before."

"And what about what Miya wants? What about what she _needs_? Real parents? A chance to go to school? To make friends, grow up and have a normal life? Are you really going to deny her that, after everything she's been through?"

Desperately, he tried not to show how her words were burning through his processor, taking root and planting seeds of doubt. He shook them away, knowing this was not the time or the place for that kind of thought. And not a moment too soon, as Miya finally seemed to have detached herself from Smokescreen and came bounding over towards him.

"Hey! I'm ready to go." She proclaimed, a little out of breath, a little backpack slung over her good shoulder. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Predaking picked her up to throw a smug smirk to the femme.

Arcee sighed and gave him a significant look. "Think about it, Predaking. Please."

Turning his back on her, he let her believe he was stubbornly ignoring her words, even if they burned his processor even now. The optics of all the Autobots were on him, he could feel them staring as he and Miya left towards the door. Would any of them try to stop him? He knew they wanted to. Just before the door, Predaking transformed into his larger dragon-self. Miya was placed in her usual spot on his shoulders and she whooped for joy. Predaking crooned back to her, unable to contain his happiness to finally have her where she belonged. It was with these thoughts that he left the hanger and leapt into the air, all doubts and troubling thoughts leaving him as he and Miya revelled in the sky. Just like old times.


	31. Predacon's Daughter

Predacon's Daughter:

* * *

Miya's weight had never been significant or hardly noticeable to Predaking. Which was why, when he'd been in the darker swells of his drunken grief, he'd often half imagined her weight on his back, something to drive him to further madness yet give small comfort. But now, for some reason, as he made himself acutely aware of the tiny being clinging to his back, that ever so slight weight was made more aware to him with every passing moment. Was it his anxiety? Did he feel some slight nervousness to have Miya back after so long? Or was it the words of the Autobot that kept repeating inside his processer, being analysed in every way? He growled to himself, unable to shift them out of his spark or dislodge the sense of dread that was making his cables tangle up.

Distractions came easily enough. The first compulsive instinct of any sire or carrier was to feed and care for their sparkling. It was a routine action that brought comfort, to know that one was doing their duty and performing all that was necessary to make their offspring well. Predaking found a field full of human crops and landed without a word. He helped Miya down from her perch and then uprooted the plants she would eat. Though his scanners said she wasn't in desperate need of nourishment, it eased his nerves to do something so routine. Perhaps Miya sensed this as well, for she didn't protest, just mumbled her thanks and ate until she was full. Then they were on their way again, and Predaking found his processor wondering again, and his frustration at its insistence to linger on that which he did not want to dwell on this his happiest of days.

Which was perhaps why, he found it rather easy to find his way back towards a little hill just outside of the forest, a singular lonely tree standing as warden at its crest, watching a golden sunset over a flat and dusty plain. Predaking landed as softly as he was able, the wind beneath his wings stirring up the long grass. Transforming instantly, he heard Miya yelp with surprise to find herself sifted from his back to lying across one of his broad shoulders. Predaking reached up to gently take her into his hand, before he sat on the grassy hill beneath the shade of the tree. He held Miya close to his spark, and hummed in contentment when nestled herself closer, seeking warmth. They watched the sunset, and he saw Miya's face brighten with recognition; a child's innocent happiness that made the world brighter with its presence.

When he spoke, his usually booming voice was quiet, small. "My spark is finally right again."

Miya turned her attention away from the sun's basking warmth, and looked up at him. Her lips on the smooth side of her face lifted in small yet sincere smile. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I'm here now," he said and returned her smile. His yellow optics looked upon her face, both as smooth as he remembered, and the gruesome burns that were new to him. He took them in and tried to reconcile the two separate halves. The child that she'd once been… and the being now exposed to the harsh realities he had subjected her to.

Her eyes drifted away from his and settled on his insignia. Her mouth fell open in slight shock when she recognised the little green necklace dangling there, and one of her tiny hands reached up to it. Predaking's distant thoughts were brought back to the present when Miya spoke up curiously. "Wait… are you wearing my necklace?"

Predaking looked down, at the object, and suddenly became uncertain. "Err, yes… yes, I am."

"I thought I lost it in the fire…"

"You did. I managed to save it from the wreckage." He watched a slight shiver trickle down her spine. Agreement soured a feeling in his spark. He hated to remember that dreadful day as well. Slowly, he reached up with his other hand for the necklace. "It should be returned to you now. It is yours by right."

And then the slight pat of her tiny finger stilled his. Optics darted to eyes. "No, you keep it."

"Are you sure? It is yours – always was yours."

"Yeah, I know. But I think you deserve it more than I do."

He was silent, oddly touched by the gesture. This little thing had always been Miya's, even now, his processor could separate one from the other. It made him smile happily, though he was certain the girl didn't completely grasp how much this tiny object had meant to him during his darkest days. Yet maybe she understood some of it, from the way she looked at him with her understanding smile. His little Miya was wiser then she ought to be for her age. And that thought sobered him somewhat, made his thoughts return to places he didn't truly want them to go…

"I can't believe we made it back here…" Miya said wistfully as she turned her face back towards the sun.

"It was to be our secret place, no?"

She grinned back at him. "Yeah, I remember. A little place of heaven; everyone needs one – that's what mom said. When we lived in the suburbs, she always said her secret place was an old abandoned road, high on the hill, where the wind blows just right. She used to take me there all the time if we got stressed before going home for dinner."

Miya spoke so casually of it, but Predaking felt the weight of the singular word heavily in his chest. ' _Home_ '. He couldn't help but think. Where was Miya's home? He'd told her she could name any place in the world and they would make it theirs. But could he do that? Did she have another place she considered to be her home? Were there not people waiting for her somewhere out there to give her that home? The way the femme had spoken back in the Autobot base made it seem as if Miya had no one else, that the human authorities were wanting to find her a family. The thought didn't compute in his mind. How could a child be left alone in the world?

The predacon wanted to snarl to himself, but refrained. Why should he be thinking about this? It wasn't in his nature. He was strong and able to deal with any who opposed him. By the laws of nature, if he wanted to keep the child as his own, he should do so and damn the consequences. Yet there was that burning in the back of his processor… the need to know…

"Miya?"

"Yes?" she turned to look back at him, her eyes bright, her face awash in the glow of the sun.

His throat felt clogged, but he pushed the words out. "Why do humans want to put you in a fostering system? What does that mean?"

Though she tried very hard to hide it, Predaking still saw the way her features slackened slightly, the way her spine stiffened as if with fear. Quickly, she turned away, walking down the length of his arm, to his elbow and then his leg before sliding to the floor. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and paced. When she finally spoke, her voice was stiff. "Where did you hear that?"

Bringing his weight onto his knees, Predaking watched Miya walk back and forth cautiously, her gaze still turned away from him. "The Autobots told me before we left. It is something important, I know it is."

"It's nothing."

"Miya…"

She spun back to him, her voice growing higher with the hint of worry, even as her words came out faster and faster. "Predaking, it doesn't matter, right? You said you were back for good, we're together again. So what does any of that stuff matter?"

"It matters to me." He pressed. When she grew slightly pale, he took a moment to vent, and spoke more softly. "Miya, I can't make the decision to keep you. Not when there could be a chance for you to have a normal family."

"So what?" always the first to leap to her own defence, her tone grew outraged. "You're just gonna sell me out? Take me back?!"

"No. I'm asking for you to explain these things to me, so that we can then decide." His gaze lingered on her scars, the ones she would never have gotten if he had never stolen her away that night. All the pain she had suffered would have all been avoided if he had done this a long time ago. "It is time for me to stop being selfish. This choice must be yours alone."

She swallowed thickly, his scanners picking a dramatic increase in her heart rate that indicated extreme stress. "I… I don't know if I…"

" _Please_ , Miya."

All that was left for the longest time was silence. Dry eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears, turning them pink even as she tried to blink them away. Predaking watched a shake begin in her fingers, only the slightest amount so as to be unnoticeable to the untrained eye. Slowly it spread, until it was even in her breath. The dread inside of the predacon grew the longer she remained quiet, until he believed her shaking was infectious and was about to overtake even him.

"Kids who got no parents go in the foster system," finally she said, her throat croaking in effort to hold back her emotions, the result making her words sound flat. "It's so kids can be in short-stay homes until they find real families who want them forever. It's better than an orphanage, I guess, but sometimes worse…"

"Why would you be there? You've talked about your mother often and–" he broke off when the conclusion suddenly made itself clear. Miya's eyes were screwed shut, her fists clenched even in her pockets. Her nostrils flared but he could hear the blubbering that came with snot and tears. Something inside his spark grew heavy, a little light going out as he gazed upon his grieving child. "Oh… oh, Miya…"

"I was ten, you know, when it happened." She hiccupped, furiously wiping away at her cheeks. She wouldn't look at him, her foot absently kicking at the dirt, her tone still trying to be devoid of emotion, even though a little kept creeping in. "Mom took me to the arcades. Don't know what for. Was a surprise, she said, to make good memories. Didn't have ten dollars between us, but we had fun. On the last machine, she won me that."

She pointed up to his chest. His optics glanced down, to the gleaming green dragon head necklace on his armour. His large fingers drifted to touch it delicately, reverently; the last memento she had of her carrier… Its sudden preciousness was now revealed to him, and now he knew why Miya had loved this otherwise useless little thing so much, why he now loved it so much, why it had drawn him to her in the first place. Some things carried an aura about them, something that not even the greatest science could explain. Predaking knew this from all his fragmented inherited memories. Unbridled hate can taint an object into a weapon that sends shivers through the frames of all that gaze upon it. The undying love of a parent to a child, maybe could turn a necklace into a beacon… a warmth that could bring together lonely creatures to find their commonalities.

"I liked it so much, it was the coolest thing in the world. I wanted to wear it all the way home." Miya smiled wanly to herself. And then the tears returned, and she couldn't stop them from overflowing even if she'd wanted to. "We went over a crossroads, I think… I was begging Mom to help me tie the necklace on. She looked away for a moment… and that's when the truck hit her."

The sob that broke out of her was a horrible, anguished sound. Predaking desperately wanted to reach for her, to hold her, tell her it was alright and she didn't have to tell him anymore. But he didn't. As cruel as it might have seemed, she needed to say these things. And he needed to hear them.

"I can't remember anything. Just looking at Mom one minute, the next – black. I woke up in hospital, and they told me she was… she was…" Another heart-wrenching cry broke her. Her chest heaved, and she struggled to get herself back under control. She wiped her nose on the back of her hand. Tried to breathe calmly so as to halt the wracking breaths. "Nobody wasted much time on me. A little kid from nowhere who didn't know anybody. They shoved me in the foster system, and I _hated_ it. All the Mommies and Daddies tryin' to play happy families. They acted more like machines then you do! They weren't real, they didn't love me. Nobody loved me like Mom did. So I ran away – over and over. Didn't matter how many times they caught me and sent me back, or shipped me off to new fosters, I still ran. I ran until I got good at it."

Predaking's voice was quiet, almost as croaked as hers as he tried to master his own emotions during this display. "You honestly believe they were unworthy?"

"Nobody was good enough to replace Mom. I didn't need anyone else but her…" There was such hate in her little voice. She spat the words as if it were an insult that anyone could think to take the place of her mother. Predaking felt his spark keen with the sting. But then Miya paused and turned to watch him carefully with her tear-streaked face. Her eyes were wide and her voice was soft. "Then when I was running away one night, I met you."

"That night I found you… you were running away?"

"Yeah." Her good hand rubbed the scarred flesh of her other arm absently, she looked a little self-conscious. "At first, you scared the crap out of me. But then you took care of me. Even when you weren't talkin', you taught me and fed me and loved me more than any of the others. You…" she broke off, her cheeks growing red, her eyes darting around as if afraid of his reaction. "Erm, well… you became like a… like a d-dad."

It took everything inside of Predaking not to react. To be as blank as he possibly could. Even then, he still couldn't stop the long sigh through his vents. His optics closed as he tried to bring a handle on the situation. All the while he was silent, he could feel Miya's impatience, could sense her own control slowly unravelling as the worst scenarios played out in her little mind.

"Oh, my little Miya," he murmured, and then looked at her. "Do you know what a sparkling is?"

She shrugged. "Kinda…"

"It is our children. The way we move forward in the world, have families. Long before I could speak, I looked upon you as if you were my own sparkling. I was willing to take you into my spark, and call you my own for the rest of time – until I was returned to Primus himself."

His tone was serious, no light tones, as if explaining something very grave. From that, Miya's eyes became downcast, her lips pouted into the loneliest look he'd ever seen. "But we can't."

"Can't?"

"I know what you aliens want – you want to heal your planet, Cybertron?"

Ah. So she had learned several things whilst with the Autobots. "We do."

"There'd be no place for me there, would there?"

He had to be truthful with her. She had to know exactly where they both stood. "No. Humans cannot survive even the atmosphere."

"I can't live there." She grew more anxious, more depressed as the truth became abundantly clear to her. "And you couldn't stay here – I mean, I w-wouldn't ask you to. I know how you want other predacons. If you stay on earth, you'll be alone. Forever."

"I know." He nodded, then looked out into the sunset, to see its now familiar golden halo of light. It was the only sun he'd ever known, this the only planet he could ever recall with his own body. "Since the destruction of project predacon, there are no more predacons, nor do I think there ever will be again. I doubt either the Autobots or the Decepticons would clone more for me now."

The girl shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, one shoulder lifted in a half shrug. "So what do we do?"

It was a long time before he answered her, made her aware that the time had come to choose. "I know that the only place for me, is with you, Miya. However, this decision is yours. I will not be able to give you the life another human could. We would not be… _normal_ for your people. Life could be hard, could be dangerous. Nothing would ever be certain. But if you would choose that… then you are the only family I shall need. My daughter, if you wish it."

She stood and stared up at him. slowly her eyes glistened over once more and her lip trembled. For one agonising moment, Predaking thought she would be upset with him. But then, those trembling lips pulled back into the largest smile he'd ever seen.

"Yes. Yes! Yes, of course I do!"

And then she ran to him and leaped into the air. He caught her in his hands and pulled her against his chest, close to his spark and embraced her there. Miya cried for joy and wept into him, and he was almost sure that if it were possible, he would weep with her. For now, it was enough to pull her close and to know they were one, father and daughter… a family.

 _BANG-BANG-BANG!_

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW, BEAST!"

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you guys like the chapter. I really wanted to give you guys more, but my week has been SUPER busy. I just couldn't squeeze in any more with the time I had. But hey, cliffhanger!**

 **Please review!**


	32. Predacon's Ultimatum

Predacon's Ultimatum:

* * *

Starscream had done as his master bid, and followed the cause of their woes to its source. He'd discovered an energon trail, the wound seeming to have offered him a breadcrumb trail that took him time to follow accurately. It didn't take a genius to work out exactly who this blood-trail belonged to. Starscream was both nervous yet almost giddy to believe that he and Lord Megatron had managed to at least injure the Predacon-Beast, if not outright kill him. Perhaps then, this would be the Seeker's chance to inflict his just reward for all the creature's insulting behaviour up until this point! With that in mind, he pushed all of his enthusiasm into his renewed search.

The trail at first led him to the human government site housing the Autobots that they'd recently bombed. Starscream couldn't help but to connect the dots – it would seem the beast had turned traitor as well as no longer useful. The Seeker had managed to keep himself undetected long enough by keeping himself high in the atmosphere – though it proved to be unnecessary. His scans showed not only that the Autobots had managed to live, but that they were no longer here. He'd radioed in that quick report, for surely the beast would lead the enemy straight to his master. Though he wanted to return, he'd been ordered to continue on the trail just in case. It would seem his Master would never be proven incorrect, for Starscream followed as instructed, and was surprised when it led him into the wilderness, and to a hill behind a forest, where he found the Predacon… and his meddlesome human.

Dropping down quietly, Starscream summoned several from his Seeker-Armada whilst remaining in cover. He ordered them to come in to the area quietly and to land a small distance off so and come onto his position on foot. This would need the element of surprise and an attack in force. In the meantime, he watched the beats to make sure it stayed put whilst the ambush was set, inwardly seething that the thing dared to continue to live. And then, finally, when he finally had his soldiers in place, he ordered them to open fire.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW, BEAST!" he'd cackled as they shot at the Predacon's back.

The Predacon immediately screeched in pain, and as was his pathetic weakness, he first and foremost tried to shield his human pet from view. It was a weakness that Starscream intended to fully exploit and show the brute the error of such a judgement.

His Seekers continued to open fire, and the Predacon, completely enraged, transformed, standing over his human and roaring in defiance. Starscream ordered a full-on attack. His Seekers transformed and took to the air, surrounding the Predacon on all sides. Starscream joined them, but held back. Predaking roared and shot fire at them, but dared not leave the ground where he shielded the human child from the threat of the blasters with his own body. It was costing him, for on this open hill, too far away from the cover of the forest, he and his human charge were left dreadfully exposed. His recently barely repaired armour was beginning to reopen. Starscream grinned to himself wickedly, and ordered three Seekers to close in for the kill.

In plane form, the three chosen Seekers dived and blasted Predaking from snout to flank all the way on their descent. With a snarl of fury, Predaking awaited the moment when they came too close, and struck. His mandible clamped onto the wing of the first plane and wrenched it aside to smash it nose-first into the ground. His front claws ripped it apart, even as tail simultaneously smashed the second plane right out of the air and sent it crashing away down the hill. The third was able to pull up just in time, and in a panic tried to push on its thrusters to send it shooting upwards. Predictably, the Predacon refused to allow his prey to escape, and leapt upwards to snatch it out of the air.

Starscream shot down faster than speeding bullet. Right as the Predacon's feet left the ground, Starscream was diving right underneath his underbelly. Partly-transforming within the span of a millisecond, a long-taloned hand reached out from Starscream's innards and reached for the tiny girl curled up on the ground. She must've realised that in her guardians bloodlust, he'd left her as bare as a snail out of its shell. Before she could scramble away, Starscream snatched her up, pulled her in, and transformed back, the child held prisoner by the belt-buckles in his cockpit. She screamed frantically, pummelled her fists on the inside of his windscreen, but none of her struggles could set her free.

"Predaking!" she screamed as she looked out of the window to gaze behind them as Starscream sped off with her and made an immediate exit. "PREDAKING!"

Too late did the stupid beast realise his mistake. Too late to he watch Starscream thrust his turbo engines and jet off into the distance, calling his Seekers to follow. The enraged and frightened roar of the Predacon matched that of the girl inside the lieutenant Decepticon. Just as he'd predicted, the Predacon came charging after them, barrelling through the air straight after them, roaring his fury every wingbeat of the way. But his injury held him back, now leaking fresh energon once more, leaving him unable to catch up completely, but still able to follow.

Starscream cackled loudly, and called back over his wing: "Come and get me if you can!"

* * *

Though the Seekers tried to distract him, confuse him, shoot him and throw him off course, Predaking would not be swayed. He kept his sights on Starscream the entire time, kept pushing his exhausted frame in a vain effort to try and catch him. Even when the blasts from the pests came perilously close to his injury, forcing him to nearly stagger and groan, he still kept on. The more energy he spent, the weaker he felt. But that was nothing to the sheer panic he felt at knowing Miya was in the clutches of Starscream – he was almost having a spark-attack at that very moment!

Exhaustion made him scream in fright and fury when he lost sight of Starscream altogether. He knew the Seeker had been stringing him along, going just fast enough to keep out of reach yet close enough to keep him hanging on. He'd dared not use his fire breath to stop Starscream, or attack him at all, for fear he would drop Miya in retaliation. And then, the second-in-command Decepticon seemed to have had enough of his little game and sped away. But it did not matter. Predaking already knew where they were. He'd been here not a few hours ago. As he flew over the next hill, he came back across the hulking corpse of the downed Nemesis.

It was obviously a trap. An ambush with the perfect bait. He didn't care. He was going in anyway.

Landing with a jarring misstep, Predaking struggled to get his breath back for a second before he transformed. Under his breath, he cursed colourfully at his lack of energy, and pushed himself onward. Why had he been so stupid as to take on Megatron in such a state? Why had he been so stubborn and not let the autobots completely repair him? If he'd listened to logic instead of emotion, he might still have Miya, or he would be in the best shape to rescue her. It mattered little now. The cargo-bay doors were open for him, no guards to impede his way. The ship looked better then he remembered, the repairs must've been fast in order to get it back in the air as soon as possible. Predaking knew he needed to get Miya and get out before that happened.

Striding into the darkness, Predaking's optics almost instantly adjusted to the near blackness. Crates of energon lay in chaos strewn about the cargo-hold, chains hanging from the ceiling clinked when his huge shoulder-guards brushed them. The exit was on the far side, Predaking made towards it, and came out into an equally dark corridor. Perhaps all non-critical power was being drawn away to more vital areas? Optics glancing left and right, Predaking searched for any clue of Starscream or Miya, but not even a hint of any biosignature remained. Screamer had covered his tracks well. With nothing left but his instincts, Pedaking fortified his strength, and chose a direction to start.

" _Welcome home, beast."_ Came that putrid voice over the comms. Predaking whirled around, optics searching for his prey, but could not locate him. His processor began to run scans of all kinds on the signal he was receiving, but it was taking its time. Hurrying his steps, he sped down the corridor, looking in random rooms, but found nothing. The voice was sickly-smug. _"_ _So fitting that your end should be here, don't you agree?"_

Predaking roared to the ceiling, where no doubt the cameras were the Seekers eyes – wherever he was hiding. "Starscream! Give me the girl!"

 _"_ _Now we both know I won't do that,"_ Starscream purred. _"_ _I've been waiting for this…"_

 _"_ _Aaaaargh!"_ a small scream sounded right in Predaking's audio-receptor. His spark nearly stopped, and he almost soiled himself with fear. Thankfully, the sound was short, and all he could hear was Miya's laboured breaths. She was alive, at least. It was of little comfort; she was hurting, and he couldn't find her, but at least he knew he still had a chance.

Starscream chuckled. _"_ _Humans are such fragile creatures. Just a little 'zap' and their fleshy-frames malfunction all over the place."_

Frantically, Predaking resumed his search with all haste. Running down halls, kicking open every door, searching through every room he came across. All the while, he let his processor do a back-ground scan on the signal, zeroing-in on its location. And then he remembered the autobot mech, he'd told him to analyse the situation. Think! Starscream needed to remain out of the way, somewhere hidden, and somewhere he could have the tools and equipment to keep an optic on Predaking whilst torturing Miya. The Labs. Shockwave's labs.

Running as fast as his shaking legs would allow, Predaking raced towards the labs. Once again, he cursed the ill design of this ship that made the halls this far in too small for him to gallop in his beast-mode. It felt far too late by the time he came to the door and thrust it open… only to find nothing. The vials of CNA that had lined the walls were gone, the lab lay abandoned and cleared of all equipment. And most importantly, there was no Starscream, and no Miya.

 _"_ _You'll have to do better than that."_

Rage and frustration manifested into a terrible roar that distorted his voice-box. "Starscream! I will tear you apart!"

From somewhere in the far distance of the ship, something rocked it. It was only ever so slight, yet still it was felt in a slight wobble in the floor. An explosion sounded, small yet still heard. And then the distant sound of blaster-fire echoed through the many halls. Predaking frowned. What could possibly be happening now?

 _"_ _It would seem your friends have arrived, traitor."_ Starscream spat. _"_ _Now be a good dog, and get them."_

 _"_ _Predaking! Don't do it!"_ Miya's little voice shrieked at him over the comm. desperately.

"Miya!" he yelled back, panicked to hear her voice, speak with her, reassure her and banish that terrible fear.

 _"_ _Do as you're told, lumbering idiot! Destroy the autobots, or I fry every cell in the human's body!"_

A simmering, festering blackness settled in the predacon's innards and worked its way along every cable, every cog, every cell in his body. He bared his teeth, and stared directly into the nearest camera, levelling his glowing optics, promising fire in every hissed word. "I will kill you for this, Starscream. Mark my words, I WILL kill you."

 _"_ _You'll never find us in time. Now kill all the autobots on this ship."_

 _"_ _Predaking! We're home! We're in our home!"_

 _"_ _What are you babbling about, fleshling? Silence!"_

 _"_ _AAAAAARRRRRRGH!"_

Miya's agony lasted far longer this time, her screams echoed around Predaking's helm even after it was finally relinquished. The mighty predacon almost felt himself grow weak, he felt so helpless to do anything to save his own sparkling! For a moment, he considered giving into Starscream's demands. He bore no love for the autobots, after all, and though he knew he couldn't trust Starscream, he didn't have much of a choice. If Miya could live for just a little longer, until he could find her, he needed to do as his hated enemy said. But his processor kept lingering on Miya's words. What had she meant? What was she trying to tell him? Was it delusional speech from her pain, nothing but babbling? No. It had seemed to have a purpose. There was something deliberate in her message. She's said she was home, in _their_ home. Where was home? Not with the autobots, but then, could that mean…?

Stopping mid-stride, everything fell into place. Spinning on his heel, Predaking turned and sprinted away.

 _"_ _What are you doing, Predacon? Where're you going?!"_ Starscream's voice became unnerved as Predaking ascended a flight of stairs, heading towards the upper-hull. Seeming to catch on, the Seeker's voice almost became crazed. _"_ _Stop it! Do as I tell you, or I will kill the girl!"_

The corridors got wider, filled with familiar dents and scratches. Turning down one corner, Predaking was met with three guards stood right outside his old kennel. They levelled their blasters at him the moment they spotted him. But no chance was given for them to fire. In the blink of an optic, Predaking transformed, the plates not even fully settled when he let loose his jaws and unleashed his fire! The seekers were melted to heaps almost instantly, the predacon's rage and grief adding heat to the inferno he summoned forth. Their screams were ignored and then ceased to be. Charging, Predaking lowered his massive skull and rammed it straight into the sealed doors of his room. His sheer might made them burst apart, and he was inside.

There! Clutched in the long talons of the Seeker, was the small figure of Miya. Her auburn hair was in disarray, bruises formed along any piece of skin he could see. Those bright eyes looked far off, as exhausted as he felt, and barely conscious, the pupils swinging from small to large and back. Her breathing was laboured and one of her arms hung uselessly over Starscream's servos. Her scars glistened with a sheen of sweat. Seeing how weak she appeared, Predaking couldn't help the small keen that escaped him. Starscream himself held her right in front of him, like a living shield, directly in the path of his sparkchamber. He made sure to keep her so close that Predaking couldn't even think about shooting him down without risking hurting Miya as well. Starscream scowled out at him, lips twisted in an ugly look of pure loathing. The feeling was mutual. And never was it more felt, then when he spotted the lightning rod clutched in the other hand, pointed at Miya.

"Take another step and the human dies!" barked Starscream.

The girl looked up and weakly reached for him. "Predaking…"

His mandibles shivered, a whimper leaving his chest. Transforming to mech-mode, Predaking held up his hands in a vain attempt to try and calm the Seeker, to show he was not a threat. But his optics never left Miya. "It's going to be alright, Miya… I promise."

"Such a pathetic display." The Decepticon lord sneered. "How is it a mere beast is able to disillusion itself into caring for a disgusting earthling. You would choose them over your own kind and turn traitor to our cause."

"Your master betrayed me first," Predaking snapped. "You slaughtered my brethren."

"It was a great idea, wasn't it." The sickening grin on Starscream's face made him pause. "Oh, poor beastie. Hadn't you worked it out yet? I'm always the one who comes up with the best plans."

That festering rage made his entire frame shake, his footsteps shaking the ground as he stepped closer. "I'm going to murder you, Screamer."

"No. You're going to let me out of here to re-join my place at my master's side. Or, I squeeze her into a pulp!"

Suddenly, Miya reached out and snatched at the end of the lightning-rod. Twisting her little body, she pushed it into Starscream's wrist. Instantly, electricity fired out and shot through Starscream's whole frame. He shrieked in pain, convulsing and spasming. But lightning also hurt Miya, as her captor's metal body conducted it right into her. She screamed, until finally, Starscream doubled over and then dropped her. Though the fall wasn't as bad as it could've been. Predaking still felt his insides drop into oblivion when Miya hit the floor and didn't move again.

He lunged. Claws sank into Starscream's shoulders as the Predacon tried to rip him limb from limb. Coming back to his senses, Starscream seemed to realise the terrible position he was in. Struggling, he tried to escape, but the predacon's grip was firm. In blind panic, the Seeker transformed himself, the sudden change in shape enough to break Predaking's hold on him and stagger. An instant later, Screamer transformed back, and hurriedly aimed and fired. It was a cheap shot that hit Predaking's injury, causing the Predacon to snarl in pain and stumble back, barely able to keep himself standing. Fleeing for his life, Starscream only took a moment to scoop up his hostage before running for the door.

Predaking would not let him get away! He tried to run after him, but his legs were too shaky. One out of three, was better than one out of two. Mid-step, he transformed into his beast-mode, and charged up the corridors after Starscream. His now huge strides made him almost too easily catch up with the Seeker as he came out onto the Upper-Hull. Predaking reached forward, mandibles spread to ensnare –

The whole ship moved. It pitched to the side so violently and suddenly that both Starscream and Predaking were thrown off their feet. Engines hummed distantly through the pipes in the walls, and they felt the moment when artificial gravity kicked back in. Only one attuned to it would feel the slight pull from the floor as the ship began to ascend back towards the sky. But it was just enough for Starscream to use as a distraction. He was the first one up and charging back out onto the hull. Growling, Predaking followed, bursting through the doors just as Starscream switched forms and shot into the air. Bunching his hind-quarters, Predaking leapt up and thrust his wingbeats as hard as he could to rocket after him. the winds buffeted them both as the Nemesis rose higher and higher through the sky and reaching steadily more towards the atmosphere. Starscream never left the ship vicinity. And Predaking suspected he was searching for another way in, another escape. But purposefully-missed fireballs and nipping at the Seekers heels deterred him from ducking into cover and kept him in the air. Though his remaining energy was draining fast now, Predaking ignored the dizziness and pushed himself harder – just a little more!

Beneath the ship, the silhouette of the ominous Omega-Lock hung, humming faintly with power not yet spent. Beneath it, a vat of strange-green-energon swayed back and forth. And all around its platform were the distinct figure of Autobots fighting the Decepticons. Predaking caught glimpses of each fight as he shot past them after Starscream. He didn't pay them much attention, even when he knew he heard several voices call out his name. Megatron himself, facing off against Optimus Prime with his Dark-Star-Saber in hand, watched him chase the second-in-command a moment. And then, Megatron's thunderous voice echoed even above the howling winds of the angry sky, towards Starscream. He was summoning him back to the fight, to help his comrades.

Time slowed. Predaking watched as the Seeker seemed torn… Knew he couldn't lead Predaking back with him into the fight… had to throw him off his trail… opened up his cockpit… spun… and flung Miya right out into the abyss below.

Predaking screamed in terror and dove straight after her. The little body disappeared through the thick cloud cover, obscuring her from view. Two seconds after her, he came through, optics blinking trying to locate her. There! She tumbled through the air, unable to even make sense of her direction, let alone try to slow her pace. Craning his long neck, Predaking desperately tried to reach for her. In that moment as she tumbled, he caught a look at her face. Mouth gaping open, eyes wide and tears streaming, she strained to suck in air. Yet the high-winds and great altitude stole whatever breath she had. Her face turned red then blue as she slowly began to suffocate.

Frantically, he tried to reach further. Folding his wings close in, he tried to speed himself along with his added weight. It brought him closer but just out of reach. Miya went to reach for him as well, but finally seemed to loose the battle. Eyes rolling in her head, she lost consciousness. Glancing behind her, Predaking spotted the ground hurriedly coming closer.

"MIYA!" he roared her name as he transformed, using it to propel himself forward. His hand snatched her out of the air, and he thrust her into his spark-chamber before the transformation was even complete. He went to transform back, to pull up out of the dive, but it was too late.

He hit the ground, and everything went black…


End file.
